The Word of God
Building Together
● Why is the Word of God important?
○ Psalm 112:1-3 - “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.”
1. It is truth that endures forever.
■ Psalm 119:160 - “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
2. It is our guide.
■ Psalm 119:105 - “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
3. It strengthens us.
■ Psalm 119:28 - “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.”
4. It keeps us pure.
■ Psalm 119:9 - “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”
5. It cleanses us.
■ Ephesians 5:25,26 - “Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”
6. It is able to save our souls.
■ James 1:21 - “Therefore put away filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
7. It keeps us from sin.
■ Psalm 119:11 - “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Written Word vs. Spoken Word
1. Written Word - Lógos
a. “The entire communication process”
i. The entire Bible - the Word (or communication process) of God b. Something said, reasoning or motive, Divine expression i. Expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit c. Steps of Lógos i. Collection - collecting words, thoughts
ii. Counting - calculation, consideration, evaluation, reflection, reason (list or catalogue) iii. Presenting - proverb, command, legend, promise, written account, even thing iv. The Bible is not just someone’s random thoughts or journal; it is not someone putting words to his experience or trying to make sense of life.
The Bible is the intentional, detailed, calculated thoughts and Words of
God, the Creator of the universe, that have the power to change our lives.
It is precious and there is no other piece of writing like it.
1. 66 books written over approximately 1600 years by about 40 different authors and the message is the SAME throughout
2. John 5:39, 46, 47 - “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” - Unity in the Word of God a. Moses writing anywhere from 1300 to 1500 years earlier
3. Bible does not just contain the Word of God; it IS the Word of God d. Examples of Lógos used in scripture i. John 1:1, 14 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the
Father, full of grace and truth.”
ii. Hebrews 4:12 - living (to live) and active (effective, at work) iii. James 1:21 - receive implanted Word - able to save your souls iv. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of
God.”
v. Luke 24:32 - Did not our hearts burn within us
vi. Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden (stored up) your word in my heart (within me)
2. Spoken Word - Rhema
a. A part of Lógos (which is the entire communication process) b. An utterance c. Begins when words are spoken d. Examples of Rhema used in scripture i. Ephesians 6:17 - “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God.”
1. Vine’s Expository Dictionary: The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the command to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhema of God”; here the reference is not to the whole Bible, but to the individual scripture which the
Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture.
2. Let’s break this quote down
a. The Holy Spirit quickens us with the Word of God. When we regularly read the Scriptures (Remember Psalm
119:11 - we store up his Word so we don’t sin against him), the Holy Spirit has something to draw from. Then the
Scriptures can be used as weapons against the enemy.
i. Luke 4:1-13 - Jesus tempted by the devil; Jesus had
specific Scripture / weapon to use against the devil;
that’s what the Word can do for us WHEN we store
it in our hearts
b. Remember the spoken Word of God is powerful: God
created the world just by speaking it into existence! When the Holy Spirit “speaks” the Word over us, it has power.
BUT, we must have a storehouse from which he can draw.
ii. God speaks his rhema to us in different ways
1. Still, small voice - 1 Kings 19:11-13
- Not in the wind
- Not in the earthquake
- Not in the fire
- In the “low whisper” and “thin silence”
a. We have to learn to quiet ourselves (our doubts,
accusations, etc. and listen to the rhema of God).
Sometimes we only look for the big, powerful shows of
God - the intense presence of God, loud, thumping worship, but we also need to find him in the stillness.
“Be still and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10
2. Prophecy - Acts 11:27-30; Acts 21:10,11
a. The Holy Spirit told Agabus what to say - Agabus didn’t read scripture in this moment (Lógos); but the Holy Spirit had a Rhema for him to give b. Agabus foretold “by the Spirit;” “Thus says the Holy
Spirit”
c. Prophecy will NEVER go against the Word of God
3. Action (living out of the Scriptures) - Acts 5:30-32
a. “And we are witnesses to these things (rhema), and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” b. What were the things Peter and the apostles were talking about? The Father raising Jesus, Jesus dying by crucifixion, Jesus being raised from the dead and forgiving our sins. All of these actions served as a testimony to the power of God.
As we live out the Words of God, our lives are a powerful testimony to others and “speak” of God.
c. 2 Corinthians 3:2,3 - “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from
Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” - the rhema of God activates something in us so that we live in such a way that people can tell we follow Christ. Our lives become testimonies of his goodness.
i. Lógos and Rhema working together: When we read
the Word of God and hide it in our hearts (Psalm
119:11), it begins to work in our hearts. The Holy
Spirit can speak (rhema) to us because we have
God’s Word inside of us. When the Holy Spirit
speaks to us (based on what we have filled our
hearts with), the Word becomes active and changes
us to be like Christ
ii. Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is living and
active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” iii. The Word of God (Lógos) acts like a mirror, showing us what is inside of us and if what is inside of us is not like Christ, the Holy Spirit speaks to us
(Rhema) and empowers us to become like Christ.
3. The Joy of the Word
a. Reading the Bible should be a joy, not a burden. We have all been in season when it feels like a burden. If you are there, ask the Holy Spirit to awaken you again, and to make you desire the Word of God. Read Psalm 119. It is filled with verses about God’s word (his laws and precepts).
b. I’ll leave you with this verse to show you the privilege and joy we have in being able to read the Bible i. Psalm 119:103,104 - “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.”
ii. His Words should be delightful to us. They give us understanding and help us avoid everything that is false and harmful to us.
iii. Holy Spirit, help us to cherish and honor your Word. Help us to hide your words in our heart, that we might not sin against you and that we might know you greater.