Living & Active (Consumed By His Word)
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How many of you remember writing those notes in elementary school to the person that you had a crush on?
They would say something like:
“I like you. Do you like me?” and then they would have two boxes, one for yes and one for no. You would hand that person the note and then you would hope so bad that they said yes.
God has written you a love letter. And you don’t have to worry about the fact if He loves you back or not. The truth is He loves you more than you love Him. The love letter that he has wrote to you is the word of God that we call the Bible.
The Bible was written in three different languages, Hebrew (OT), Aramaic (Ezra and Daniel) and Greek (NT).
The Bible is about 611,000 words long. The Bible was written by more than 40 different authors. Each book was inspired by God. That means that God told them what to write.
The Bible was written on three different continents.
People love this book so much that it is the most stolen book in the world. Bibles are regularly taken from hotels, hospitals, bookstores, and any place really.
The Bible is the most read book in the world. The Bible sees up to 100 million copies sold or donated annually. Approximately 20 million copies are sold each year in the US alone.
The Bible was written over the course of 1500 years.
I love what David says about the Word of God in Psalm 119. If you have your Bibles go with me there, Psalm 119. I will begin reading at verse 89.
89 Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.
97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
This passage alone should inspire all of us to want to read the word more. Some of you may say, “I don’t like to read.” We live in a day where we have more access to the word of God than we have ever had in history. You can pick up your phone and listen to God’s Word being read to you.
But the thought of some people just sitting down and consistently reading the Bible seems crazy.... or boring. I think some people don’t engage His word because we see it as more school work or just knowledge to study or just out of a religious obligation.
God’s Word is Different than any Other Book
God’s Word is Different than any Other Book
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Word of God is beyond just words, it’s not like other books. And I know that there are many great books out there that will help you grow in your life. There are books that help you in school. There are books that can help yo with your finances, investing, hobbies, and just leaning more about yourself. But the Word of God is different.
The verse that I read to you says that the Bible is alive and active. It is not simply a passive historical document, although it is one of the most sound and proven historical documents, The Bible or God’s Word is active today to speak and breath life into your daily life! It’s active! It’s at work in your life!
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
There’s Life in God’s Word that Changes You When You Come into Contact with It.
There’s Life in God’s Word that Changes You When You Come into Contact with It.
If any of you will consistently engage the Bible on a daily basis your life will experience transformation. If you encounter the living word, and allow it to get into your thoughts and habits, you’ll experience the change agent of the Spirt empowered Word of God.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Some of you grew up in families where the Word of God was an important part of your life. And you were in a family that tried to do what was right. Your family made God the center of your home. And there were some of you that the Word of God was not mentioned. It was never a part of your home. you remember a family that was dysfunctional. But here’s the good news. No matter what type of family you grew up with, everything can change when one person decides to fully embrace and live out God’s Word.
Today I want to give you two things that you can do to access the wisdom and power of God’s Word.
1. Consume It!
1. Consume It!
How many of you like to eat bread? The other day, my wife made some homemade bread. In my opinion, there is nothing better than homemade bread straight out of the oven. When it is hot and fresh and the smell fills us the room. I like taking some butter and getting me a slice of that bread. Spreading that butter all over the bread and then I wait just a moment so that hot bread will meal the butter and then I take my time as I eat that bread one bite at a time. And of course you can’t stop with just one piece. Am I right? Look at what Jesus says in John 6:28-35
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
This is a powerful passage of scripture. Jesus is help us make the connection between the supernatural bread that God sent His people from heaven in the wilderness to himself. If you haven’t heard that before, Jesus is the bread, he’s the sustaining life of heaven. The Bible says that Jesus is The Word, that became flesh and dwelled among us.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
If you want a life sustaining power working and operating in your life then you need to get a hold of the all consuming power of the trinity. You consume the Word by making it a daily part of your life.
We’ve been raised to have manners when we are at the dinner table. But when you come to the table of God to consume His Word leave the manners behind and get all you can.
Consume God’s Word Like Your Life Depends on It! Because It Does.
Consume God’s Word Like Your Life Depends on It! Because It Does.
If you want strong relationships? Consume the Word.
If you’re married and want to see your marriage keep growing? Get into the Word of God.
If you are looking to raise children or you are raising children, allow the Word of God to be your teacher rather than just the latest cultural parenting trends.
Are you looking for a better or healthier future? The answer is within the Word of God.
Do you need to see your income and finances grow? It’s in the Word. Consume it!
How do you make your car go? You either fill it up with gas or you charge it. Right?
How do you make your body go? You put food in it.
How do you make your spirit go? You feed it with God’s Word.
It is so important that you consume the Word of God, because the health and strength of your life depends on it.
This past year we have been reading the Bible through. For those of you that are doing this, let me encourage you to not stop. Even if you are behind, don’t quit. Make it a point to finish the Bible. If you have already quit, we are going to do this again when January rolls around. Make it a point to consume God’s Word.
The best way for you to read the Bible consistently is Try a Reading Plan. We handed out a plan at the beginning of the year. Make it so that you can mark it off as you read.
So, the first thing is Consume and the second thing you need to do to access the wisdom and power of God’s Word is...
2. Let It Consume You
2. Let It Consume You
We live in a world today where a trip to church on Sunday morning will get you by. That doesn’t work anymore and honestly it never really worked. Don’t just allow Jesus to “visit” you on Sundays for church, but you need to invite Him to move in and take up ownership of your life.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Jesus wants to consume your life but he isn’t going to just barge in and take over. He is at the door knocking and waiting for you to open the door and let him in to come in and consume you.
The Word of God isn’t just like bread but it is also like a seed that is planted in our life. It may start small but it grows up and take over the whole body. Many people don’t get the benefits from the seed of God’s Word because they don’t plant it into their lives.
If I wanted something to grow in my garden, I have to plant the right seeds. I can’t hope for watermelon if I plant corn seed. I am going to get corn out of corn seed. If you want something good to grow in your life you have to plant the right seed. If you want God moving and working in your life then you have to plant the right seed. I want Jesus to consume me so I plant the word of God in my life because Jesus is the Word.
Think about how the Word of God is impacting and transforming your life.
It’s Saving Your Soul
It’s Saving Your Soul
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
It’s Renewing Your Mind
It’s Renewing Your Mind
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
It’s Sustaining Your Body
It’s Sustaining Your Body
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
It’s Strengthening Your Mind
It’s Strengthening Your Mind
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
It’s Stabilizing Your Steps
It’s Stabilizing Your Steps
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
It’s Empowering Your Life
It’s Empowering Your Life
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
This is just a small sample size of the kind of activity that God’s Word accomplishes. The key is to consume the word and then allow that word to dominate and consume our lives.
And the way you will know that the Word of God is taking root in your life is when you begin speaking more like the Word of God and less like the culture around you.
It’s Drawing Your Heart
It’s Drawing Your Heart
God is drawing you to Him. It is good to allow your heart to move closer to God and encounter his presence. God’s Word isn’t just about teaching us about Him, but it’s an invitation to come close and know Him. The more you engage God’s Word the more you’ll encounter His presence.