Sermon THURSDAY AUGUST 8TH 2024: VOLUME 2 THE WORD OF GOD. THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD

The Apostle John declares in his gospel of John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." We must read, know, meditate and practice the word of God on a daily basis, because it is absolutely necessary for our spiritual growth.

In Jesus' response to Satan's temptation after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to be made bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: "man does not live by bread alone, but of every word that comes from the mouth of God." The word of God satisfies, heals, and delivers from sin, sickness and diseases. "The King James Version reads: "And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The New International Version says:

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. If you have received Jesus the Living Word as your Lord and Saviour he is dwelling in you, and desires to work with you, and through you.

THE WORD BEING THE BREATH OF GOD

The Scripture has much to say about the Word of God, for by the word of God the heavens were made (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33: 6) and other biblical references.

 "All Scripture is God-breathed." God-breathed is the literal translation of the Greek word in this verse. All scripture is the breath of God and is something breathe out of God himself. God is a Spirit, and whatever is breathed out of God as Spirit must be spirit. The biblical reference to John 6:63, which says, "It is the Spirit who gives life: the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and life." The words He speaks are Spirit because He is Spirit.

The words he He speaks are something breathed out of Him, and anything breathes out of Him must be spirit All scripture is the breath of God. In the Greek, "pneuma," the word for spirit, is the same word for breath or air. Therefore the interpretation of 2 Timothy 3: 16 and John 6: 63 we can conclude that the Word of God to us is simply the breathing of God as the Spirit of God.

THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT IS ONE

Further proof that the word and the spirit are really one is revealed in; Colossians 3: 16 which declares:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God." Because Ephesians and Colossians are written quite similarly. Ephesians 5: 18 and 19 says; "Do not be drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our lord Jesus Christ." Colossians says that we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs by the word of Christ richly dwelling in our heart, and Ephesians says that we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs by being filled with the Spirit. When we compare these two passages we can conclude that the word is Spirit. Therefore to be filled with the word means that we are filled with the Spirit.

To have the word dwelling in us requires that we be filled with the Spirit, because the word and the Spirit are one. In Acts 2: 41, the Apostle Peter speaking words empowered by the Spirit which convicted men of their sins and convinced them to receive the resurrected Lord Jesus as their Savior. In one instance the spirit empowered and inspired Peter with a powerful message, while on the other instance the Spirit worked through the word to bring the convicted listeners to repentance and faith, to transform their lives.

The Word and the Spirit is always ready to do the same for anyone who would call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

BE ON THE ALERT: BE READY!

 Christians are aware that life continues beyond the grave, and that life on earth is only a preparation for a life that will never end. What you do with your life today matters for eternity. In light of eternity sin is a foolish gamble. Your belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ will affect your view of the future, as it ought to affect how you live today.