Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Okay, Good morning, everyone.
[00:00:06] So the, the title for today is the Authority and Power of God's Word.
[00:00:12] Last week I started off with like a.
[00:00:16] I want to do kind of like a series or at least when I'm preaching, just to work on the absolute foundations of our Christian faith.
[00:00:27] We have to get these foundations right if we want to grow and if we want to go further.
[00:00:32] So last week we started with the first and the most important thing, which is Jesus Christ himself. He is the bedrock, the bedrock foundation and the cornerstone of his temple.
[00:00:54] And so that is our starting point. And if we don't start there, and if we don't start right correctly with that, we. We don't get to pass go.
[00:01:05] So, so, yeah, that is the first and most important thing.
[00:01:18] The next thing that we're going to cover is obviously the Word of God.
[00:01:22] And the Word of God is used in two different ways.
[00:01:28] One is for the Bible, as you know, obviously, and the other one is for Jesus. Jesus is often referred to as the Word of God.
[00:01:37] And it's important to note that there is complete identity between the two.
[00:01:44] One is God's written word and Jesus is God's personal Word. But they are both the Word of God.
[00:01:54] And if we wanted, if we really want to be rightly related to Jesus, we have to be rightly related to His Word.
[00:02:05] So you can see how important our attitude is towards the Bible.
[00:02:10] It is of utmost importance.
[00:02:15] So the authority of God's Word, the word authority, comes from the word author or the concept of authorship.
[00:02:25] It's the author who gives authority to whatever he's written or produced.
[00:02:32] So if you've written a book and something is not very clear to the reader, the best person to go to is the author of that book, obviously, because he knows exactly what he meant and he'd be able to explain it better than anyone. And so likewise, God, through His Holy Spirit, is the author of the Bible.
[00:02:53] 2 Timothy 3, 16, 17 says, All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
[00:03:12] So the authority behind all Scripture is the Holy Spirit, which is of course, as we know, is God himself.
[00:03:22] And Jesus said that building on his foundation.
[00:03:28] This is something important to remember. Building on his foundation means to not only hear the Word, but to be doers of the Word.
[00:03:37] If we want to build correctly, those two things we have to do. We have to hear the Word and we have to do the Word.
[00:03:47] We cannot just hear the Word. Of God, we have to obey it as well.
[00:04:03] So the only person who is fully qualified to interpret the Bible is the Holy Spirit, as He is the author.
[00:04:14] This means that when we read the Word, we must ask God, we must come to God, pray to God, ask God to help us in understanding of His Word, to help reveal what he means in His Word. It's so important to approach the Bible in that way.
[00:04:33] So often we read the Bible and our minds are elsewhere. That's not helpful.
[00:04:39] We have to pray while we read the Bible, say, holy Spirit, please help me understand, show me something new. It's incredible how we can read the Bible 100 times and every single time many new things will come from it.
[00:04:59] And we must believe that he will do that.
[00:05:02] John 14:26 says, but the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said.
[00:05:18] So you see the two things he will do there, the Holy Spirit.
[00:05:24] If there was anything that Jesus had left out, the Holy Spirit will teach you.
[00:05:29] And if there's anything that you've forgotten about, the Holy Spirit will remind you and bring it to remembrance.
[00:05:36] That is what Jesus said himself, and you can count on that.
[00:05:43] 2 Peter 1, verse 20 and 21 says, above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things.
[00:05:56] For prophecy never had its origin in human will.
[00:06:01] But prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
[00:06:09] So there again, it is in plain English that the Holy Spirit was inspired by the Holy.
[00:06:20] The Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit through people.
[00:06:27] And, you know, that's actually so nice because it's not like they became robots and the Holy Spirit just did. Exactly. You can see people's personalities in every one of the writings that we have in the Word. Which is even more incredible that God. That would be God's Word in each person's own characteristic.
[00:07:00] Okay, so as I mentioned in the beginning, Jesus is the first foundation. The second foundation is the Word of God.
[00:07:08] And we have to see the Word of God as it truly is.
[00:07:17] You may ask the question, how can the Bible be infallible?
[00:07:22] Because obviously we would say that we believe the Bible with all of our hearts and it's infallible. People will often say, well, how can it be infallible when it was written by men that are fallible?
[00:07:39] Psalm12 6 says, and the words of the Lord are flawless.
[00:07:46] They are like silver purified in a crucible, like gold, refined seven times now this was just recently brought to my attention this little teaching of this verse, which I think is amazing.
[00:07:59] The crucible is like a furnace.
[00:08:01] It's a clay oven. That's all it is.
[00:08:05] And that would be like us, we are the human instrument which God uses to speak through.
[00:08:12] So we as humans are like the clay oven, the crucible, the fire is the Holy Spirit which purifies and makes perfect. And not only is it purified once, it's purified seven times. Now the number seven is perfection in the Bible.
[00:08:31] So the Holy Spirit purifies the words that have come through in the Word of God seven times.
[00:08:38] So they are absolutely perfect.
[00:08:41] And so the Word of God is totally reliable.
[00:08:47] Again, we have to see it how it really is.
[00:08:52] Next thing we can look at is how what did Jesus think of the Scripture and how did he use the Scripture?
[00:09:01] I mentioned this last week.
[00:09:04] I'm going to mention it again.
[00:09:05] In John 10:35 we read, if he called them gods to whom the word of God came.
[00:09:21] And Scripture cannot be set aside or in another translation says, and Scripture cannot be broken.
[00:09:30] So those were from Jesus, words from Jesus own mouth.
[00:09:36] And he says that the word of God, which is Scripture cannot be broken.
[00:09:46] That's his attitude towards the Scriptures, the Bible.
[00:09:50] And if that's Jesus's attitude towards, needs to be our attitude as well.
[00:10:08] Again, how did Jesus use the word? So we can look at. If you read in Matthew 4, we see that Jesus and at the end of chapter three, when Jesus is baptized, he comes up out of the water and the Holy Spirit comes on him and the Father speaks over him, in other words, endorses him, gives him his full approval as his Son.
[00:10:36] The Holy Spirit comes on him and remains on him. That was very specific thing to take note of there because we know that Spirit of God throughout Scripture up until that point would, would come on people for a time and then would leave as well, you know.
[00:10:55] But this time that word means it remained on him. That means it was there to stay permanently.
[00:11:01] So in other words, he was endorsed by the Holy Spirit as well.
[00:11:05] And he was endorsed by John the Baptist saying, the Messiah has now come.
[00:11:11] So three, three, three people have endorsed Jesus as the Son of God. So just bear that in mind.
[00:11:18] Then Jesus goes off into the desert and he fasts for 40 days and he's tempted by the devil.
[00:11:29] How does Jesus deal with the temptation from the devil?
[00:11:35] It is written all three times. Three times he's been tempted.
[00:11:41] All he does, they say it is written. Remember he was endorsed by God. By the Holy Spirit and by John the Baptist as the son of the living God.
[00:11:52] So, I mean, in that capacity, he could have maybe dealt with the devil. But he said, it is written.
[00:11:59] And funny how the devil had absolutely no response.
[00:12:06] Something to really, really ponder on.
[00:12:11] And interesting as well is that, did you know that all three quotes from the scripture he quotes from is from the book of Deuteronomy?
[00:12:24] And you know how people feel about the Old Testament and the New Testament.
[00:12:28] So he quotes the Old Testament, Deuteronomy, three times. The devil didn't question it.
[00:12:35] Jesus didn't question it.
[00:12:37] Jesus used it and it worked 100%.
[00:12:44] So we have no reason to question even the Old Testament.
[00:12:51] And interesting to note as well, during the temptation, and this is for us, is that Satan's strategy, right from day one, has always been to first and foremost, plant a seed of doubt in your mind.
[00:13:11] So there's like three.
[00:13:12] He has three steps, it would seem.
[00:13:15] And even to this day, he uses doubt as his first thing. It's obviously worked from day one until now, and he continues to use it. Plant a seed of doubt in your mind of what God has said in his Word.
[00:13:29] So first thing plants a seed of doubt. Second thing, it causes disbelief. And I'll read through something now and you'll see disbelief. And then the result of disbelief is disobedience.
[00:13:45] So it always seems to follow that pattern.
[00:13:49] So we have to stop it on the first point.
[00:13:52] Don't entertain the doubt.
[00:13:56] The word of God is the very words that proceed from God's mouth. They are all powerful.
[00:14:04] And so when he comes to plant that seed of doubt, we cannot entertain that doubt because then it's a slippery slope downwards.
[00:14:16] And you'll see Matthew 4. Three, it says the tempter came to him and said, if you are the Son of God, was he not just endorsed just 40 days earlier?
[00:14:28] It's funny.
[00:14:30] And he says, if you are the Son of God, then turn these stones to bread.
[00:14:35] There is the seed of doubt.
[00:14:37] But we know what Jesus says. It is written.
[00:14:43] So that is how Jesus dealt with temptation. He met it with the written word.
[00:14:49] And that's how Jesus shows and how he has taught us to deal with Satan in the same way.
[00:14:56] And we shouldn't try another method.
[00:14:58] We shouldn't try and argue with the devil because we will lose.
[00:15:03] We will lose.
[00:15:05] In Genesis 3, verse 1 to 4, you can see how the method plays out now. The serpent was more crafty than any one of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden? The woman said to the serpent, we may eat from any fruit in the garden.
[00:15:29] We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. But God did say, you must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it or you will die.
[00:15:42] So we see the seed of doubt planted there. Did God really say.
[00:15:48] And I think like, she could have said, yes. God did not say and stop there. But she kind of like went on a little bit, hey, on a tangent.
[00:15:57] Then he says, you will certainly not die. Surely you're not going to die.
[00:16:03] That's the disbelief coming in.
[00:16:06] So you doubt it, then you disbelieve it. And then what comes next?
[00:16:11] Disobedience.
[00:16:21] All right.
[00:16:24] Matthew, chapter 5, verse 17 and 19.
[00:16:27] Read that.
[00:16:31] Do you think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets?
[00:16:35] I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
[00:16:39] For truly, I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of the pen will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished.
[00:16:55] Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. And so this clearly shows that Jesus acknowledged the absolute authority of the written word of God. There should be no doubt, so interestingly, just on a side, that it was a.
[00:17:28] The jot, and the. What was the other one?
[00:17:32] Tittle. The jot is literally the smallest letter in the Hebrew Alphabet. And the tittle is a little squiggle which changes the letter.
[00:17:41] And so that's what he was saying. So literally, literally, not even the smallest letter or the tiniest little mark will be removed from the slaw.
[00:17:50] Interesting.
[00:17:54] Matthew 22:31,32.
[00:17:57] But about the resurrection of the dead.
[00:18:00] Have you not read what God said to you?
[00:18:05] I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
[00:18:09] He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
[00:18:15] So read this for you. Because he was actually addressing the.
[00:18:21] The religious teachers of the time.
[00:18:23] And did you notice what he said to them?
[00:18:27] He said to them, have you not read what God said to you?
[00:18:32] Now, that scripture, God was saying that to Moses.
[00:18:37] That's who God was saying it to. Not to them personally.
[00:18:41] But Jesus says, no, no, no, no. God is saying it to you.
[00:18:46] It's as applicable then and even now, 3,000 years later, as it was when it was written first.
[00:18:59] Okay.
[00:19:02] I mean, there is just scripture after scripture after scripture that you can look at and see how Jesus treated the word of God.
[00:19:14] The next thing we can notice is how did the life of Jesus actually fulfill Scripture?
[00:19:23] And we know that there's a verse that says, and all these things happened, that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
[00:19:34] And that's how Jesus treated the scripture. He did these things so that they would be fulfilled. And I mean, just four things you can look up is the birth, the life, the death, death and the resurrection, all of which were prophesied years and years before that.
[00:19:53] And his life is now proof of the working out of Scripture.
[00:20:05] Again, I mentioned earlier about the view that some people have of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is not quite so relevant. Well, I can tell you it is just as relevant. And they both need each other from beginning to the end.
[00:20:29] I think I have already mentioned this, but again, let's have a look at it because it is so important. John 14, 25 and 26, all this I have spoken while still with you. But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I, that I have said to you.
[00:20:51] Again, what he didn't teach us, the Holy Spirit who lives in us, will teach us. Believe that and don't be scared about forgetting.
[00:21:03] I spent years and years worried about that. But I tell you, I can honestly say that it's incredible how like, I have got the memory of a goldfish. So you know me.
[00:21:14] And, and so remembering verses like, you know, John 16, whatever, I'm just the worst. The worst. But it's amazing how I can still recall something.
[00:21:28] And so often what I do is I remember a few words.
[00:21:34] Google it. Boom. Up comes the verse. So thank goodness for technology.
[00:21:38] But still the Holy Spirit brings to my mind, even though it's not an exact verse, but the phrase and what I'm looking for so that I can find it, and I tell you that is him, because I know my memory. I know it. It's a shocker.
[00:21:59] Okay, John 16:12 to 14, let's read that quickly. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears.
[00:22:21] And he will let you, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
[00:22:26] He will glorify me, because it is from Me that He will Receive what he will make known to you.
[00:22:35] So this is just a very extremely important point to bring out is that the Holy Spirit always reveals and glorifies Jesus. You know the Bible says you must test the spirits.
[00:22:48] That is one rock solid test that you can always judge a situation with.
[00:22:55] Is this giving glory to Jesus or is someone else getting the glory? Is there a person, is there a thing, whatever?
[00:23:04] If that's the case then you can run a mile. But if it is there to give glory to Jesus, then you know that it is from the Holy Spirit.
[00:23:17] So now we look at the nature of God's Word and so what is it like?
[00:23:23] Hebrews 4, verse 12 says, for the word of God is alive and active.
[00:23:30] 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 hearts.
[00:23:45] So the word of God is alive.
[00:23:48] It's not just words on a page.
[00:23:54] And it brings, and it literally brings life wherever it goes.
[00:23:58] Remember these are the very words that would proceed from God's mouth.
[00:24:04] So it is alive and it does things.
[00:24:11] So man is a triune being, spirit, soul, body, made in the image of a triune God.
[00:24:20] And the soul part of a man is always the self.
[00:24:26] And the spirit is what we receive from God and what becomes reborn. And there's always like a conflict between soul and spirit.
[00:24:36] That's why this word says that it is sharper than any double edged. I mean who can, who can discern what's going on between your soul and your spirit except you yourself. And even you yourself will probably not know.
[00:24:51] But the Word of God knows. The Word of God can discern, can cut between those two things which no one and nothing else can do.
[00:25:03] This was a nice little phrase.
[00:25:06] Always remember when you are reading the Bible, the Bible is also reading you.
[00:25:11] That's true.
[00:25:13] That is true.
[00:25:15] And it's at this point where I want to just make something clear because I think last time, or at least recently I mentioned that the word of God can to some people be words on a page.
[00:25:34] And I don't want that to come across like it's absolutely dead because we read here that it is absolutely not. It's alive and it's active and it always is like that.
[00:25:45] So and so even and, and it's powerful. So even when people with the wrong heart read the Bible because it's alive and active, it will still do work.
[00:26:01] But I think the work will be limited as to how you receive it. That's where the difference comes in. I would never say, and I just want to say this in case you left that day thinking it can be dead.
[00:26:16] It's not. We know that the Bible is not dead. It's alive. But it does, it will. What you get out of the Word depends on how you approach the Word and how you see the Word.
[00:26:30] You can limit what it does in you, but it can always do something. Hope that makes sense.
[00:26:45] Yeah, I've just written here, but they will do.
[00:26:48] Excuse me. So much more. When your heart is postured to receive it and the Holy Spirit is at work, that's when the Word of God will really do all it is meant to do.
[00:27:01] 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and we also thank God continually because when you received the Word from. When you received the Word of God which you heard from him, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is. The Word of God which is indeed at work in you who believe.
[00:27:26] You see, we must receive the Word as it really is.
[00:27:35] And they are. Again, I'm sorry I'm repeating this phrase, but the Word of God are the very words that proceed from his mouth.
[00:27:44] 2 Peter 1, 3, 4 says, his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
[00:27:58] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.
[00:28:09] Having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
[00:28:21] My mind's gone a little bit blank and apologies, so I'm just going to end off that one to say that don't ever neglect the Bible.
[00:28:32] The Bible is the key to your well being and to your success.
[00:28:39] Okay, the last thing I want to cover now is what are the effects of God's Word?
[00:28:46] And we're going to look at eight effects of God's Word.
[00:28:50] Firstly, God's Word produces faith, produces faith in you.
[00:28:58] So if you don't have faith. How often have you said that? I mean, I can honestly say, even up until now, I often feel like I can't pray for something because I don't have the faith for it.
[00:29:12] I hope you can feel the same way as me.
[00:29:21] Romans 10:17 says, Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word about Christ.
[00:29:35] So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That's the new King James version.
[00:29:41] So if you want faith, you can get it. That's the point.
[00:29:47] You need to hear the Word of God and faith will grow in you.
[00:29:53] That's the answer. It was plain and simple to me. If you want faith, you can get it from the Word, but you need to hear the Word. It's actually something I've heard this before, many years ago, but many people read aloud, and I think there's something in that.
[00:30:09] It's one thing to just read, you know, in your mind, but when you hearing the words come out of your mouth, there's something in that.
[00:30:17] So interestingly, the story of the Ethiopian, I think Peter heard him, heard him reading the Word. So obviously he was reading the Word aloud to himself.
[00:30:32] So it may have been done regularly back then.
[00:30:36] So read the Word and read it aloud.
[00:30:38] Number two.
[00:30:40] The Word of God is the seed of the new birth.
[00:30:45] James 1:18.
[00:30:48] He chose to give us birth through the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
[00:30:59] Okay, so if you want to know about the new birth, we know that everything about that is in His Word. There's nothing that is not known about how we get born again and so on.
[00:31:14] So it brings us, and it points us to the new birth.
[00:31:19] It also, on the same point, purifies.
[00:31:24] It purifies us, and it purifies us by us obeying it.
[00:31:32] 1 Peter 1:22, 23 says, now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply from the heart, for you have been born again not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.
[00:31:56] So do you see that we purify ourselves by obeying the truth, by obeying the Word of God.
[00:32:07] And also when we are born again, we are born not of imperishable seed, I mean, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed.
[00:32:18] And the Word of God is the seed as well.
[00:32:24] Number three. It provides a spiritual nourishment for us.
[00:32:30] 1 Peter 2:2. 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.
[00:32:45] So we don't want to stay babies forever.
[00:32:49] But of course, when we are born, we are babies. And so the first thing we do when we are born again is we we have to devour the Word of God.
[00:32:59] That's the spiritual milk that will help us to grow and to mature.
[00:33:07] Then in Hebrews 5, 12, 14, it says, in fact, though, by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food.
[00:33:25] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
[00:33:33] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
[00:33:42] So here again, it's the milk that we need when we're babies, and it's the solid food we need to gain and get into full maturity. It's all in the Word of God.
[00:33:57] Number four is mental illumination.
[00:34:01] In Psalm 119, verse 130, it says, the unfolding of your words gives light.
[00:34:09] It gives understanding to the simple.
[00:34:18] We can think back to when Jesus was talking to the Pharisees.
[00:34:26] And, you know, they were the most educated people of that time.
[00:34:31] And though they were so educated, and even though they knew the Word of God so well, they were still so far, far from him.
[00:34:40] So it's not education and just pure knowledge of the Word that will do the trick.
[00:34:53] We need the wisdom that comes from the Word of God.
[00:34:57] Wisdom and education are two very different things.
[00:35:04] I heard this one and I thought it was too good not to say most of the trouble in the world is caused by educated fools.
[00:35:12] I was like, yeah, all right.
[00:35:16] God's words provide physical healing.
[00:35:20] Psalm 107, 17, 20.
[00:35:23] Some become fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
[00:35:31] They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.
[00:35:36] Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
[00:35:42] He sent out His Word and healed them. He rescued them from the grave.
[00:35:49] So this one was a good one for me.
[00:35:54] How many times do we fall into sin and we receive the consequence of our action, and then we come crying to God and we want the consequence to be taken away from us.
[00:36:07] Please forgive me. Just take it away.
[00:36:10] Hey, man.
[00:36:14] But I think what's important here is to know that sometimes.
[00:36:24] We will.
[00:36:27] So let me just make sure I say this correctly.
[00:36:33] We need to consider that the source of our problem or our pain is a result of. Of our sin.
[00:36:42] I mean, judgment is coming. But God exercised judgment right now, and part of the judgment is consequence for your action.
[00:36:51] You know, I mean, that is, like, undeniable.
[00:36:55] So.
[00:36:59] So I think that's the first thing we need to consider when we are suffering and going through something and. And please hear not what I'm saying. I'm not saying that your sin is a result or your suffering is a result of your sin. I'm saying that this could be the case and it's something that we should ask. It's something that we should take to the Lord and say, is there anything in my life that I need to deal with that is causing me this pain?
[00:37:28] And trust that the Lord will reveal it to you.
[00:37:32] But you can see there that the Word of God heals people.
[00:37:37] And if we hear it, obey it and do it, it will bring health and life to our bodies.
[00:37:47] Proverbs 4, 20, 22, says, My son, pay attention to what I say. Turn your ear to my words.
[00:37:54] Do not let them out of your sight. Keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them, and they are health to one's whole body. They will literally bring health to your body.
[00:38:10] Number six, victory over sin and Satan.
[00:38:13] And I've got there in brackets. It is written, if you want to overcome the challenges in your life, the temptations.
[00:38:23] The only thing that we got taught from Jesus was to come with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
[00:38:31] That is how we must deal with Satan.
[00:38:37] And there is no doubt that it works.
[00:38:46] Psalm119, 9, 11 says, now how can a young person stay on the path of purity? You know, these days people think that's impossible.
[00:38:55] The Bible doesn't say, how can you stay on the path of purity by living according to your Word.
[00:39:04] That is how you live a life of purity, by living by God's word.
[00:39:11] I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands.
[00:39:17] I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
[00:39:22] So if you're serious about overcoming sin in your life, there is an answer.
[00:39:31] There it is.
[00:39:33] Number seven.
[00:39:35] Okay, we're almost done. Two left.
[00:39:38] Provides cleansing and holiness.
[00:39:41] We are saved by the blood of Jesus and we are cleansed by his word.
[00:39:48] Ephesians 5, 25, 27. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless.
[00:40:12] So by reading the Word of God and having it consistently in our lives, we can continue to clean ourselves and make sure that we can present ourselves as blameless before God.
[00:40:25] And lastly, the Bible is a spiritual mirror.
[00:40:34] And so I've written here, look at your spiritual self.
[00:40:41] Memories from last week.
[00:40:44] Look at your spiritual self and change it.
[00:40:50] As you know, last week I pulled up a picture of, of a very skinny, emaciated man walking along, quite pathetic.
[00:41:01] And. And that's me. Honestly. Honestly.
[00:41:07] And. But on the other hand, I had a picture in my mind of what I want to be when I meet Jesus.
[00:41:17] And, and it's, it's funny that I've done this now because that whole image that happened years ago, I drew that picture years ago.
[00:41:27] So it's already been planted in my mind all the way back then.
[00:41:32] But here it is saying that the Bible reveals what you look like.
[00:41:38] And when you look at yourself in the mirror and you see a problem, do something about it, change it. You don't know how this has impacted me in the last couple days.
[00:41:49] So we have to make the change and we can.
[00:41:53] James 1:23, 25.
[00:41:56] Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he sees or what he looks like.
[00:42:10] But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do.
[00:42:28] Isn't that awesome?
[00:42:33] So that's foundation number two, the Word of God. I hope that you have, like me, learned a lot about this and that it has brought new light to you about the Bible, the Word of God.
[00:42:48] Shall we pray?
[00:42:50] Heavenly Father, we love you.
[00:42:55] We thank you again. I just want to say thank you again for your patience, Lord, with me and with all of us.
[00:43:03] I thank you so much for your precious Word, which we love so much. Lord, we thank you that it just does so much. It is everything we need to live a godly life we have in your written word.
[00:43:22] And so, Lord, I pray that we can take heed to what you say, when you say, when you build on me, my foundation, you have to build by hearing and doing the word of God.
[00:43:41] Lord, these are your words.
[00:43:44] There is no separation between the Word of God, the written Word of God, and the personal word of God.
[00:43:53] And so, Lord, I pray that we could treat the Word, this Bible, this beautiful Bible, with reverence and treat it for what it really is.
[00:44:05] And what it really is is life giving words from you, given to us as a gift so that we can live lives worthy of your calling, Lord.
[00:44:18] So Lord, I just pray for each one of us and those who couldn't be with us today to just go and live in the Word, to make it part of their hearts, to write it on their hearts and just know that yeah, they are life giving and they will as long as we can just do them, hear them and do them. It will bring us home, Lord. So we thank you and we pray for this week coming. And we pray for all our mothers and all the mothers on this special day. They have sacrificed so much.
[00:45:02] Yeah, it's not.
[00:45:04] I can't speak from experience, but I can see that being a mother is real, real tough.
[00:45:11] And they are so special.
[00:45:13] And I think of how much that they've sacrificed in their own lives for, for us.
[00:45:19] So I pray a special blessing on every one of them, Lord, that they would have a beautiful day, that they would feel your love and your peace and know how loved and treasured they are.
[00:45:31] Pray it all, and we ask it in Jesus name, amen.
