September 3rd, 2000, Sunday Morning

"Work of the Word of God"
Giving hope to the off-course believer

OPENING: Matthew 4:4, KJV


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Jeremiah 10:23: Since Adam and Eve sinned, mankind had plunged into darkness and was without a sense of direction. Thus, man is not capable of directing himself.

2 Tim 3:15-17: The word of God is the cure for ALL the world's problems. It is the answer to all our needs.

The word of God informs us and instructs us.

• That you're on your way to hell if you're not saved. Many people are in a state of confusion in that they don't think they've been bad enough to go to hell. The truth of the matter is that no matter how good or sinless a person thinks they are, they are 100% on their way to a devil's hell if they're not saved for the simple fact that sin is a inheritance from Adam to all man--we're born into it! We can't avoid it!
  
  
• Yet, the value of the word of God gives instructions on how to be saved. In addition, the New Testament epistles give instruction on how to live
  
  
  • Bible tells you how to be a lady, a man, a husband, wife, father, mother, a good child, a good worker, a good employer, neighbor, etc.
    
    
  • Notice the bible says nothing on how to be gay
  
  
• Bottom line: All we need is the word of God

But before you apply it to your life, where did the word of God come from?

• 2 Pet 1:19: When man sinned and fell into darkness as a result, God had to send a light to shine his path
  
  
  • (Aside: Feminists, women who despise men, believe women should take over leadership in the family and that God is a female. Some would say man wrote the bible for the purpose of placing man higher than the woman and used God's name to justify this charge. The truth is: God wrote the bible through men who were "moved by the Holy Spirit" and God is a man. As the prayer goes, "Our Father, who art in heaven" not our "mother")
  
  
• Psalm 12:6-7: How do we know God's word is pure and true? Because just as God's word alone keeps the planets in alignment, keeps the earth from being too far and too close to the sun, and keeps meteors away from impacting us, we can conclude God has the power to keep his word alive--even man cannot destroy it
  
  
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13: The word of God does not come from man but from God himself. Thus, you should believe it at face value without searching for further proof. This is faith. And it's common sense that if you truly believe something, you'll adjust yourself--your life--accordingly. God is THE King of the Universe, the Lord of Lords.
  
  
• What's the quickest way to shut down a liquor store? Not with mass anti-liquor ads but rather to stop buying. If we simply shut sin out, it will go away. What would become of liquor stores and pornography if no one bought it? It wouldn't be able to sustain itself.
  
  
• According to the bible, on Judgment Day, you will be judged according to the rules of life in the bible ... whether you're a believer or not. How is it you can be judged from a bible you never knew or believed? Because the bible has rules for non-believers, as well.
  
  
  • Revelation 20:11-15: A message to the unsaved: an idea of what hell is like--on a watered down level: Imagine an electric stove with one of the metal, circular coils red hot. Imagine you had to hold your hand flat on the coil for one second. Now imagine having to do that for 5 seconds... 5 minutes... 5 hours... 5 days... years... eternity. All the pains you ever felt--hunger, pressure, internal, emotional, heat, all rolled up into one--feeling it at its highest intensity for all eternity. Think of how long it's been just living now and how some days just feel like they drag on. Now imagine being in hell for the duration of your life times infinity... forever.
  
  
• Source of the word of God: God himself

Romans 5:12: Man started his condemnation by sinning.

Romans 6:23: So God responded by offering free eternal salvation.

Acts 11:13-14: If only you'll believe the words that are sent to you, you shall be saved.
EXAMPLES:

• Acts 8:27-39: Story of Philip saving the Ethiopian eunuch
• Acts 16:17-34: Story of Paul (and Silas) saving the Philippian jailer

Hebrews 4:2: Some believe in Jesus Christ but don't trust him. This makes the preaching they hear useless.

Romans 10:17: Therefore, just as the verse above noted, you need faith to trust in Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:16: The word of God saves and sustains you. You should blindly believe it.

1 Peter 2:2: If you stop getting the word of God, you'll stop growing or grow backwards.

• Want to be a better son, daughter, husband, wife? Then get in the book.
  
  
• Someone who wants to come to church once and a great while is like the spiritual hungry person who has a great feast set before them each week and once every six months, they only want from it a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
  
  
• Athletes who train for an event have a certain texture to their skin that sick, barely-able-to-walk people do. This could be an example of two people on opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum in terms of bible reading and coming to church.

CLOSER

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Psalm 119:9: If you're spiritually off track today, you can get back on track.

• You want revival? GET INTO THE WORD.
  
  
• Do what our church does every year: from September 25th to December 24th, challenge yourself to read the entire bible from cover to cover as a birthday present to Jesus Christ on his birthday--December 25th.
  
  
  • (From the King James Bible, which is approximately 776 pages, 776 pages / 90 days = only about 9 pages / day!)

Job 23:12: Why was God's word placed higher than essential food? Because as Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone..."