Rooted in the Word, Part 3
May 27, 2019
What’s the most powerful thing you’ve ever witnessed?- lightning, an earthquake, an explosion? I’ve felt quite a few earthquakes living in the Pacific Northwest, and I’d say they were pretty powerful. I lived in Oregon when Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980, and that was an awesome display of power. Oh, and yes, I’ve even driven Dave Douglas’ Porsche, and that ride’s got some power. But none of those things hold a candle to what I’ve seen God do through the power of His Word. You see, I’ve seen God’s Word transform lost sinners into joyful saints, over and over again. I’ve seen God’s Word take rebellious tees and turn them into compassionate servants. And I’ve seen God’s Word heal more than one marriage. In fact, I remember a time in Langley, BC when I was counseling a couple in their 70’s who were ready to throw in the towel. I’d done everything I could think of to help them, and they were still at each other’s throats. I was about to give up. But then I gave them an assignment: I told them to go home and read 1 Corinthians 13 and wherever the Word of God says “Love”to insert their names and put what they read into practice. I still remember getting a phone call about a week later and what they said made my day. What did they say? “You saved our marriage.” No, I didn’t save their marriage… God’s Word did.
That’s just the thing about God’s Word. God’s Word has the power to change you. You don’t have to stay angry. You can find strength you never thought you had. God’s Word can birth compassion and kindness in you. It can take two people who were once bitter enemies and can make them fast friends. And it can create a joy and peace you never imagined possible. God’s Word has the potential to change you in so many ways.So this morning, we’re going to look at some of those ways as we look atseven benefits of being rooted in God’s Word. What God’s Word Can Do For You! So if you’ve brought a copy of God’s Word with you, we’re going to dive right in an unpack the first benefit that’s found in 2 Timothy 3:15. And that is this:
God’s Word Can Save You Paul is writing to Timothy and reminds him of the Power of God’s Word that saved him. He refers to,The Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15 The Holy Scriptures, the Bible, is the only source where we can find salvation from God. The truth is, none of us would know of our need for salvation apart from God’s Word. For it’s in God’s Word that we learn that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – that your sins separated you from life with God; and that there is nothing you can do to save yourself. You need a Savior. But then God’s Word proclaims the good news of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Paul says it this way: Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17
And what’s the message about Christ? For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 So God’s Word makes it clear, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”Acts 4:12 So God’s Word spells out how we can receive His salvation. There are His instructions: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone whobelieves in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Romans 10:9-13
God’s Word can save you. God made it simple. God made it clear. Salvation is found through faith in Jesus.There’s power in His name. He’s done it all to save you. All you need to do is call on His name and you can leave here today forgiven and reconciled with God; YOU CAN BE SAVED. That’s the power of God’s Word. So let me ask you, Have you called on the name of Jesus for salvation? You can do that today, right where you sit, and you can leave here with your life changed forever. That’s why God’s Word is so powerful. It reveals how your sin and guilt can be removed so you can know God. God’s Word Can Save You. But God’s Word doesn’t stop there. Next is
God’s Word Can Change You That’s what Hebrews 4:12 tells us: For the word of God isalive 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. Hebrews 4:12 The Word of God is capable of exposing the deepest, most hidden thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. You may think you know yourself. You may think you know the right way to live. You may even think you’ve got it all together. But when God’s Word is spoken, read, studied, or meditated upon, the Spirit of God penetrates deeply into your soul, your mind, and heart to show you the error of your ways, the deceitfulness of your hearts, the corruption of your thoughts, and then works in you to change you.
That’s how God’s Word works. It doesn’t just expose wrong motives or wrong thinking, but works to renew our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That’s why Paul commands us in Romans 12:2, Do not conform to thepattern 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.
That’s what’s so great about God’s Word. Being exposed to God’s Word tells me that I don’t have to stay broken and sin scared, but God can forgive me and make me new. Being exposed to God’s Word tells me that I no longer need to form my identityon my achievements or possessions, but on how God sees me – as His beloved. Being exposed to God’s Word tells me that I can look past the hurtful attitudes or actions of my enemies, and see them as a broken person Jesus died for. But God’s Word doesn’t stop there. Now because God’s Word shows me Jesus’ love for the worst of sinners…it can take away my prejudices and judging, and replace those attitudes with kindness, acceptance and grace. God’s Word can change me, and God’s Word can change you.
On Thursday I had lunch with our new prison ministry team and Pastor Phil Kelley, who told us a story of how God’s Word changes inmates. In a past ministry he saw how God’s Word saved a White Supremacy Leader and transformed him into a new man. What was the evidence of his change? Well, also in his ministry was a former member of the Nation of Islam. What happens now when these two meet in their Bible study? They hug one another. These once sworn enemies have become friends… all through the power of God’s Word. God’s Word can replace bitterness with kindness, it can replace hatred with love, it can renew your heart and mind so that you begin to think, live and love like Jesus. God’s Word changed me, and I know it can change you. But there’s more. Here’s another one:
God’s Word Can Refresh You The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.Psalm 19:7a The reason God’s Word can refresh your soul is as David says here: it is perfect or complete. In other words, it lacks nothing. So God’s Word is SUFFICIENT for the life God gave us. As David wrote, it refreshes the soul. The picture here is that God’s Word has genuine restorative powers. God’s Word can rejuvenate, refresh, and revive you. It’s the same word David used in Psalm 23:3, when he spoke of God as the one who “restores my soul.” So God’s Word can take a weary heart and revive it. It can take a wounded heart and heal it. And best news of all, it can take a spiritually dead heart and infuse it with life. You see, you can eat the best diet, exercise daily, go to the spa, rest, and pamper yourself with the best life has to offer… and as good as those things can be for you, none of those things compare with what God’s Word can do in you. God’s Word can take away your worries, restore your confidence and give you rest. God’s Word can refresh you. But you know what else it can do?
God’s Word Can Make You Wise David also wrote this: The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.Psalm 19:7b Trustworthy means what it says. God’s Word is worth trusting. When it’s put into practice, it delivers. It can take a simple, inexperienced and even novice believer and transform him or her into a person any of us would gladly follow. It can take a dysfunctional or difficult person and help him or her become a blessing. Listen to what God’s Word says about a the person who finds wisdom in God’s Word: Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand;in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. Proverbs 3:13-18
The wisdom of God’s Word was why at the age of 19 Charles Haddon Spurgeonwas able to lead a church in London, England. It’s why Abraham Lincoln was able to unite a country divided. He was a man of the book. It’s the quality described of the noble womanof Proverbs 31, who was a blessing to her family. When we dare to open this Bible, and trust it to change us, we unlock the potential to become the kind of people our families, our church and our culture needs. If there was ever a time we needed wisdom, it’s today. God’s Word Can Make You Wise. But it can also give you Hope.
God’s Word Can Give You Hope Look at Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4
I don’t know of anything more discouraging than life without hope. And God’s Word gives us hope in spades! Hope to change. Hope that no matter what chaos is swirling around us, God is in control. Hope for help in whatever we are facing. Hope for encouragement when our souls are downcast. Hope for forgiveness when we blow it. Hope in the truth that God will never let you go. Hope in the face of suffering and death. And hope for the day when we see Jesus face to face. God’s Word can give you hope. Not only that, but
God’s Word Can Guide You Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. God’s Word gives light in that it shows us the path of life. The light of His Word keeps us from wandering aimlessly through life. His Word leads us on paths of righteousness. His Word guides us along paths of wisdom, and keeps us in from taking paths that are not good for us. Life is a journey of choices. God’s Word is a roadmap to making good and morally sound choices. I can’t tell the number of times when I needed to make a decision and wasn’t sure which way to turn. But then in the course of my daily Bible reading, God’s Word gave me light – showed me the way. Keeping your nose in this book helps you keep in step with the Spirit, keeps you close to Jesus, and shows you the way of righteousness. God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And finally,
God’s Word Can Keep You From Sin Psalm 119:11 says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. The Psalmist isn’t just talking about memorizing God’s Word, although memorizing God’s Word is a great way to digest God’s Word. No, the spirit of this text is the Psalmist’s devotion to God. He knows that when God’s Word is in his life, he will live the kind of life that honors God. So then, the action of hiding God’s Word in your heart has its origin in the attitude of wanting to please God.
It’s having an attitude that says I need God’s Word in me so I can stop doing the things that hurt Him and start living in a way that pleases Him. It’s like what you do in any love relationship. With Becky I’ve learned from her to avoid those actions that make her upset. And I’ve learned from her the actions that I need to do that tell her that I love her. That’s what’s going on here. The more you’re in God’s Wordand the more God’s Word gets into you, the more you will learn to avoid those things that displease God, and learn what pleases Him. And God’s given us all we need to know right here – so we don’t have to guess. We can live a life that glorifies God!
Therefore, If God’s Word Has the Power to Change us…
if God’s Word Can Keep You From Sin
if God’s Word Can Guide You on the Paths of Life
If God’s Word Can Give You Hope
If God’s Word Can Make You Wise
If God’s Word Can Change you and Make You More Like Jesus
And If God’s Word Can Save You and give you this great life with the God who loves you, then what should we do with God’s Word?
Well, let me close with three actions we can all take:
1.We Can Drink It! Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3 I love this metaphor. We’ve all seen how babies can’t drink enough milk to satisfy their thirst. They crave spiritual milk because they crave life. Think of the nutritional benefits of drinking milk. Not only does drinking milk build strong bones and healthy muscles, but the potassium in milk reduces blood pressure, the vitamin D in milk helps grow healthy cells, prevents cancer and produces serotonin that keeps us in a good mood, and fights off depression. What a great metaphor for the Word God. Craving God’s Word is meant to help us grow. It’s good for us. So we should drink it regularly.
We Can Share It! Paul writes: Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.Colossians 3:16 We’re all supposed to be sharing the Word with one another. God wants us to share what He’s teaching us. This is what happens in Journey Groups. This is what happens when we obey the command to make disciples. We get to share with one another what it looks like to follow Jesus. This way, we don’t just learn to follow Jesus on Sunday mornings, but we help one another follow Jesus together. God wants us to let the Word of Christ dwell richly among us! And finally,
We Can Obey It! James is pretty straight-forward. He says,Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 I learned this a long time ago – that the most dangerous thing we can do to our faith is develop a habit of listening to the Word, but never doing anything about it. In fact, one of the devil’s greatest schemes is to deceive us into thinking that just attending a worship service is good enough. He wants us to become consumers of religious goods, not producers of the fruit of Christ. And the way we bear fruit is through our obedience to God’s Word.
For when we obey God’s Word, His grace and truth are unleashed through our everyday lives. When we obey God’s Word people are loved, enemies become friends, relationships are healed, and God changes us!
That’s why this book is THE MOST POWERFUL BOOK you’ll ever lay hands on.But it’s power will remain dormant until you drink it in, share it with others and put it into practice. My prayer is that this is what we will do together! That we will be a people of the book. For if we could do that, then there’s no force on earth that can stop us. May God grant us the grace to be changed by the grace and truth in His Word.
dard price says
we Just listened to rooted in the word part 3!! Great message. Thanks Dard and Terry
Larry says
Hi Dard and Terry, It just occurred to me that I never replied to your kind email. Thanks for the feedback. I think of you two every time I drive by your place in my golf cart! Hope you are enjoying the beach. Becky and I will be heading to the Oregon Coast the second week of September. And Oh, if you haven’t heard, we are going to be grandparents in February! Courtney and Austin are expecting! See you soon!
Larry