All right, if you have a Bible, go ahead and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 4, which I believe is on page 12-78. If you use one of the Bibles that we provide underneath the chair in front of you, page 12-78. Hebrews chapter 4, we're just looking at verses 12 and 13 this morning as we continue our sermon series through the letter to the Hebrews. And kids, if you're tracking the word of the day, the word is word. Here now, God's holy, true, and life-giving word. For the word of God is living an active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. Father, we do thank you so much for your word and how you speak to us even today through your written word. And we do ask now that you would open our eyes to the glory of the Lord Jesus in these two short verses. Would you help us to come to know you more and to grow in faith? Would you shape us and mold us that we might be more light-christ as well as more excited and equipped to continue to make disciples of our neighbors and of the nations?
We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. So one of the things that we talked about when we began this sermon series ten weeks ago was the fact that in the book of Hebrews, there are warnings that are given to a church, this church that the letter of Hebrews was written to and also to us. There are these warnings and there are five of them in the book of Hebrews and we've already seen one of them. So you may remember several weeks ago when we were in chapter two, if you want to flip back, the first couple verses of chapter two are where the first warning is. And ultimately in that first warning the author was telling us to pay attention to what God has revealed about himself in the person in work of his son, Jesus Christ. In other words, the first few verses of chapter two tell us to make sure we're paying attention to what he wrote in chapter one where the author tells us that Jesus is the son of God that he's the radiance of the glory of God. He's the exact imprint of his nature and upholds the universe by the word of his power. So that that first warning was to get us to pay attention to really understand and know what God has revealed about himself in the person in work of his son. And now we come to that second warning, see the author's been building up to this warning after he gave the first warning, he started developing in the theme of genuine faith. Of what it means to have genuine faith, the type of faith that perseveres to the end of a person's life. And as he's been developing that theme of genuine faith, he's been using that first wilderness generation as an example of people who did not have genuine faith. He just Egypt went into the wilderness but did not trust God in the wilderness and therefore they weren't allowed to enter the promised land. He's been using that as an example for us not to follow and he's really been challenging us like he was challenging this original recipients to make sure that we have genuine faith. So let's us up to this warning that we have today found in verses 12 and 13, which ultimately is this. Here's the warning, the second warning in the book of Hebrews. Do not underestimate the power of God's word. So here him saying warning do not underestimate the power of God's word. And so what we're going to do is look at how God's word is speaking. It's actually God's speaking and then God's word is effective. God's word is exposing and God's word is life giving those four things were in tackle this morning to understand this warning of not underestimating the power of God's word. Speaking effective exposing life giving these are things that help us understand God's word. So let's let's jump and keep your bibles open. Let's talk about how God's word is speaking. It's actually God speaking. Let me let me stretch that out a little more. First thing we want to look at is that when we read the Bible, we're actually reading God speaking to us right now through his written word. God speaks to his people today. He's talking to us today by the Holy Spirit through the written word. And to see this, we're going to jump back a little bit into chapters three and four to kind of prep us for looking at the warning itself. But think about how the author has been using the Old Testament. Think about how he's been quoting Psalm 95 in chapter three and in chapter four. He's quoted it five times. Look at the longest place where he quotes from Psalm 95 in chapter three starting in verse seven going through 11. And I want you to notice here what he does look at how he prefaces the Old Testament quote that he's going to use. Chapter three verse seven, he says, therefore as the Holy Spirit says today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. And he goes on from there, but here's we got to understand he's saying it's in the present tense. So he was saying to them that God was saying right then and there through the Holy Spirit through the word do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. He literally says therefore as the Holy Spirit is saying right now. And so he was speaking to them right then through the Old Testament just like God is speaking to us right now through the New Testament through his written word. How God speaks to us today. He speaks to his people in the present as the Holy Spirit takes passages or verses of his written word and applies those things to our current situation. There's over 31,000 verses of scripture in the old and new testaments. And we can be sure that in those verses in every situation in life where we are looking to hear from God where we want to hear from God, we want to see what God is saying to us. He's found within his word. He has spoken and he is speaking through the written word by the Holy Spirit applying what he has said to us. So God's word is God speaking. This is why Martin Luther said let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scripture. We want to hear God speak audibly. Read it out loud. God is speaking to us. Holy Spirit applying his written word to situations in our life. So we don't want to underestimate the power of God's word because it is how he is speaking to us right now. This helps us understand that warning a little more because it helps us understand why he was using Psalm 95 and why he kept quoting it. And that God was speaking to this original audience as he's speaking to us as well. And the things that he was saying from Psalm 95 were God saying those things to them. So God was saying don't harden your hearts. God was saying telling them don't be like that wilderness generation who never really trusted me. God was telling them that the only way to answer the true and better promised land. God is saying these things to us. God was calling them to strive to enter his rest. Look at chapter 4 verse, chapter 4 verse 11 where he says let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. And so he's God is the one saying in his word strive to live by faith, strive to truly trust God so that you know you will enter the new heavens and the earth. And so then with that emphasis on the fact that God is speaking through his word that helps us understand what's going on here in the warning in chapter 4 verse 12 and 13 which is basically God's speaking. God's speaking to us and saying make sure your faith is real because we're going to stand before him one day and we're going to make an account for our life. And as we see in the warning when we stand before God and make an account if our faith was not real he's going to know he already knows he already knows because of what we see in the warning. Let's look at it again verse 12 chapter 4 verse 12 and 13 the word of God is living and active again this is coming off of verse 12 why should we make sure our faith is real why should we strive to live by faith because the word of God is living and active it's sharper than any two edges or piercing to the division of soul and spirit of joints and marrow discerning the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. No creatures hidden from his sight but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. So not only is God's word God speaking to us today the second reason we don't want to underestimate the power of God's words because it is effective. God's word is 100% effective when he speaks there's a reason that he does and whatever that reason was it happens. You see that when it says look at verse first part of verse 12 again for the word of God is living and active alive and active that word active kind of blends to thoughts sort of energy and power. So it's alive it has energy it has power in other words it is effective that's what he's getting at there it accomplishes whatever it was sent to do and that we know that in the Old Testament as well if you're familiar with Isaiah 55. Passage that some of us are familiar with Isaiah 55 10 and 11 here's what God says to us there he says for as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return and do not return there but water the earth making it bring forth and sprout giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be. That goes out from my mouth it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. So the another place in scripture where we see the God's word is effective when he speaks something happens that's not like you and me. When we speak what we want to happen may or may not happen okay there are plenty of times in the given week where I speak and what I want to happen does not happen okay I'm apparent. Now but think about God think about creation right we see right in the beginning of the Bible in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth how did he do it he spoke let there be light he speaks everything into existence which shows how his word. It is powerful it's effective when he speaks it happens okay so we don't want to underestimate his word because it's effective it's always accomplishing the purpose for which he sends it and one of the things that God's word does effectively is exposed let's talk about that God's word is exposing. It's him speaking it's effective and it's exposing it exposes us. He says the word is sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of soul and spirit of joints and of marrow and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. So one of the things that God's word does with 100% effectiveness is it discerns what we really think and what we really intend or our true attitude towards any and all things God's word pierces through us and exposes what is really true about us. Now there's a little debate about what he's saying or how he's using this metaphor of it piercing to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and of marrow. One commentator is saying that it's possible that because at this time they had more of a platonic view of existence where your soul and your spirit are somewhere inside you and therefore what would the deepest part of your body be. There's no word you can't get deeper in your body than your marrow right so it might be that he's saying that of course this word pierces right into the marrow of your bones so of course on the way it slices right between your soul and your spirit. But whatever he's saying here everyone's agreed that what he's getting at is as Peter O'Brien says, the result of this penetrating power of God's word is that it is able to probe the inmost recesses of our being and bring the subconscious motives to light. It's discerning in fact the word where he says discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart is a word that kind of refers to a person who's very skilled at assessing a situation or judging. Determining what's right what's wrong what's true what's false what's believing what's unbelievable so the word of God pierces into our very souls exposing what's really true what we really think what we really intend. He knows our hearts and this is not the only place that we see this inscription in fact we see all through the scriptures that God knows our hearts think about first Corinthians four verse five where Paul says the Lord will bring to light. The things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart or in Acts one twenty four when they're praying they pray and their prayer begins with you Lord know the hearts of all so he knows our hearts he knows every little thing about us. And that then therefore leaves us vulnerable and helpless look at thirteen he says no creature is hidden from his sight but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. One author says here in Hebrews there is a close connection between God and his word so to be exposed to the word of scripture is to be examined fully by God himself and therefore answerable to him. See what he's saying like God's word examines us fully and therefore because God has examined everything about us we are answerable to him we make an account to him. God's word reveals what's ugly in us and reveals that we are accountable to him this is one of the reasons that the Bible people are trying to get the Bible out of public life because this is what God's word does it reveals how messed up we are it leaves us naked and exposed naked and exposed think about that that word naked when it's used literally you know refers to somebody being naked but when it's used metaphorically like here it's it's it's used. Throughout the Bible it's nakedness is used as a metaphor for just complete vulnerability and exposed so naked and exposed here's an interesting thing about that word exposed it's a Greek word that actually refers to a wrestling move by which an opponent grabs his opponent by the neck and takes him down in such a way that once he's on the ground held by his neck. His neck he's absolutely defenseless and helpless because he's pinned down interesting word choice by the author. I had the great privilege of going to the first game in the new stadium for Orlando City which they won that way and there was like well over 25,000 people there just just amazing. You know how like we don't want to be seen naked right like think of it just imagine with me for a moment that you know what what if there was this crazy situation where suddenly you were strip naked and then taken down by your neck and pinned at the in the middle of the field with 26,000 people looking on. And just kind of like how absolutely gut wrenching you know makes you sick I mean that would be absolutely horrible right you would be so. Oh worst thing ever right the thing is what we see here is that that feeling is helpful in in getting at what the word really does because being exposed physically that's one thing but we're talking about something deeper something more. Embarrassing something something we want to hide even more what's really in our hearts that's what the word does leaves this naked and vulnerable it shows us what we're really like reveals how selfish we really are. How sincere we really are it reveals how greedy we really are shows us how jealous we really are it exposes the fact that we're so covetous we see things that we don't have and God has not given us but we start scheming we want them so bad. How prideful we are how great we think we are it exposes how racist we are how judgmental we are how fake we are how terrible some of the things we've imagined doing to other people are. How hypocritical we are how simple we are that's what it does it lays us bare pierces in and it exposes all that is wicked and ugly within us it's like a mirror right it's like a mirror that is held up to us and when we look in it to see our actual reflection reflection is is is horrible we can't stand it. We want to look away or we want to break the mirror it's what it does right leaves us feeling vulnerable and helpless which is one of its designs to help us feel that desperate need of a savior right I need a savior I need to get out from underneath all this guilt and shame I don't want it to be exposed I don't want anyone to see I don't want God to look at what's really in my heart right we don't want. Now for the non-believer this is what's being exposed is the reasons that you're condemned but you will not be able to argue with on judgment day you will agree with God's judgment of who you really were but when when it when the word of God exposes this ugliness in us it's meant to drive us to our recognition that we do need a savior we do need someone who can purify us of our sin right we do need a high priest I mean look at the glorious next. At the glorious next sentence verse 14 since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast to our confession and we're going to talk about that more next week and I can't wait but once we have faith once we really receive Christ by faith if our once our faith is genuine then we can know that all that's being exposed by the word of God is a long list of things that we've been forgiven for and that God knows the deepest recesses of our heart he still loves us still cherishes us still is committed to us still is faithful to us and that explodes with joy then in our hearts right we're so thankful for what he's done that's what helps us love him that's what helps us want to serve him believing the gospel believing that what the gospel is is that what Jesus has done on the cross has provided for my forgiveness and it's provided for me being declared righteous Jesus who is the word of God right John called him the word of God he's been called the word of God here in Hebrews as well so the word of God Jesus who who knows everything about me even to the deepest darkest sin about me he's the one who took my place in nakedness and exposure right look at the cross what's happening on the cross he's taking my nakedness he's taking my exposure what I deserve to be experiencing and he's taking that so that instead of having what I deserve that awful naked exposure I get what he deserves I get to be declared righteous in God's sight and as God looks at me through his word it not only reveals the purification of all that but the permanent love of God for me an acceptance of me and for all who believe this is the beauty of the gospel right he took my nakedness he took my exposure so that I can be declared righteous in his sight and that's that comes through faith and this is this here's here's the sweet part about the way the author wrote this okay you know he's a pastor because he's thinking about the people when he wrote this and here's how you see it the last thing we're going to talk about is that God's word is not only him speaking it's not only 100% effective it's not only exposing all the deepest dark nastiness about us but it's also life giving what do we say when we open God's word together on Sunday mornings this is God's holy true and life giving word you know why I say that because the Bible says that right this is God's word he says it's life giving and here's where he says it in this passage okay look back at verse 12 those first few sweet sweet words for the word of God is living and active now that word living is interesting and all the commentators pause and they say we have to mention something about this word it does mean a life but it also simultaneously equally means life giving it's that kind of a life it's the kind of a life that gives life and so even in this warning we see the sweet news that it is the word word of God that not only exposes all things about us but it gives us the life that we need it gives us the faith that we need when author talks about how the scripture connects God's life with the capacity of God's words to give life how the people heard the voice of the living God into astronomy or how the psalmist prays to receive life by your word in the Psalms and the big one that they point to that so amazing is first Peter 123 first Peter 123 talks about the life giving power of God's word a theological break for a moment so when we are born again when somebody's born again the Holy Spirit works faith within their heart right so they can receive Christ so they can believe okay that's what being born again is being regenerated getting a new heart that's open to God loves God how did that happen did you do that let's ask Peter Peter in first Peter 123 says you have been born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God you have been born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God that's how we came to life God's word breathed and spoke life into our hearts so that we could believe so that we could receive salvation by grace through faith it's all from him even our becoming Christians true believers is through that word that life giving word great story about the life giving word so you've heard of George Whitfield George Whitfield was a preacher in the 18th century travel around England travel around America a little bit and at one point there was this group of young men who started following him around heckling him they called themselves the Hellfire Club and so they would heckle Whitfield when he was preaching his sermons and one of them whose last name was Thorpe he decided that he was going to try to memorize some of Whitfield sermons so that he could mock him so that maybe while Whitfield's preaching over here he could be standing over here kind of saying the same thing or doing the same things anyway at one point Thorpe has memorized part of Whitfield sermon and he's Whitfield preached the word of God and so he's standing there preaching and he's yelling his preaching also and he just stops and he realizes that he believes what he was saying or trying to fake say the knucklehead converted himself basically is what happened because the power of the word of God is life giving and if it's the moment for you to come to faith the word of God is going to be there and it's going to do the work and pow it's life giving and then it's not it doesn't stop there right the word of God doesn't just give us our new life but it gives us more and more of our new life right it gives us more and more of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us God is in the business of sharing his amazing life with us and he imparts it to us through his word as we believe it it's life giving word so he can give us life where there was death in us so he can give light where there was dark in us so he can put hope where there was hopelessness in us so that he can put rest where there was restlessness in us he imparts that to us through his life giving word does his word examine us thoroughly and see what he's doing examine us thoroughly and see all of the nastiness that's truly in us yes so that we can see that we need a savior and once we have that savior that it's been gone it's been removed and he's put life in its place that cloud of death that hung over us because of our sin has been replaced with that banner that reads righteous and Christ. If his word really is God speaking right now and if it really is 100% effective and if it is exposing but at the same time life giving I do not want to underestimate it I do not want to underestimate it I want to believe it I want to read it I want to study it I want to memorize it I want the word to be just I want to be absorbing every little bit of it right this is the reason that we as Christians it's just imperative that we have this healthy devotional life where we have a regular diet of God's word why because good Christians read their Bibles no no because the word is life giving right the word is life giving that's why we want to be reading his word pursuing him in there experiencing the life that he gives us through his word this is the reason why we study God's word in our life groups right our life groups are gathered around the life giving word of God this is why there's so much word in our worship we sing God's word we speak God's word we talk about Catechism answers that help us understand God's word we preach God's word this is why we preach expository sermons by the way expository sermons where we do what we do here we just walk through the verses so that we understand it's we understand what is God saying to us through his written word. expository preaching you don't need Matt seven tips for a better marriage you don't need three ideas for financial awesomeness from me what you need is what only God can give you you need God's word God's word that's what is living in active that's what's life giving and has energy and power and brings us to life and so we preach through the Bible we get into God's word in worship and this is also why I want to say where I felt I just want to be honest with you I mean I'm always honest with you but the piercing word found its way into the reality that my time in the word in the morning so lately has just been filled with distraction and it's been just kind of duty check it check a box and get done with it and I just I just was like overwhelmed with this sadness that God was talking to me and I was busy doing something else and I want you to join me in my conviction there's plenty of room in here come on and would you just see why does God want us to know his word and be in his word and read his word because its life giving and I want you to choose with me to get serious again about reading his word to get serious again about studying his word together in groups to get serious again about worshiping centered on the word and the incarnate word Jesus the son of God who makes all this possible how do you know if you are like me underestimating the power of the word of God it's not having a big impact in your life because you're not paying attention okay so the less we're paying attention to the word of God the more we know we're underestimating it and so let's buy grace let's repent of that repentance means we change our minds what do we need to change our minds we need to change our minds from this false belief that we have that the word of God isn't really powerful change our minds and believe God's word is God speaking to me now today and it's effective it's going to do in me what he wants it to do and it's going to expose everything about me but it's going to give me life through faith and let's be a church that is crazy about the word of God. Father we do thank you for your sweet sweet ways of leading us to repentance false says its your kindness that leads us to repentance what a sweet invitation that you want to talk to us more and you want to give us life would you help us to want you and believe that the life we get from you is you yourself proven by the fact that Jesus gave us his life by giving his life and so would we be a people of your word would we believe it has real power would we stay focused will we stay committed would we encourage one another to believe in the power of your word and to experience the life you have for us as we believe it and trust you and live it in Jesus name. Amen.