Tag Archive - word of god
Three Functions of the Word of God
Every time I stand up to preach, I have the privilege of watching God’s living word accomplish dynamic things in the lives of people. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul spells out three distinct functions that the Word of God performs in our lives…
As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his children.
~ 1 Thessalonians 2:11
Now watch this…
To “exhort” is to BUILD UP people.
To “comfort” is to HOLD UP people.
To “charge” is to FIRE UP people.
I don’t know about you, but I need all three of those in my life every single day I need to be built up because I crumble on my own. So Word of God… exhort me. I need to be held up because I falter on my own, so Word of God… comfort me. I need to be fired up because I flicker out on my own. So Word of God… charge me.
And every time I preach, counsel, advise, or encourage, let me do these three things in the lives of others.
A Firm Foundation For Life
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Based on 1 Peter 1:17-25
ONE GREAT TRUTH: The foundation upon which our faith is built – the blood of Christ and the Word of God – is unshakable, unchanging, and everlasting.
Preaching with Sincerity
Paul addressed the issue of sincerity in preaching on several occasions throughout the New Testament. One such instance is 2 Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” As I have reflected on this verse, it’s given me some comfort to know that the issues that plague modern Christianity also faced the apostles. I’ve also found an important principle in preaching – sincerity.
There are false teachers, hucksters, and impostors in pulpits across the land today. There were in Paul’s day too. It’s nothing new and it will only worsen as we approach the day of Jesus’ return. But the contrast to this trend is a new trend of sincerity in the pulpit. Preaching has been defined by D. Martin-Lloyd Jones as “the communication of God’s truth through human personality.” So we preachers get to represent God’s truth through our very personality. The prayer, “hide me behind thy cross, O Lord,” doesn’t reflect an accurate understanding of what preaching is all about. God has calledme to represent Him as only I can, and for you to do the same.
On Your Feet, Soldier!
This past Sunday, I began preaching in Genesis with chapter one, verse one. The message started a lengthy commitment to preaching all of the word. I don’t think I’ve ever been as satisfied by a message in all of my ministry. I had studied and prepared for about six weeks for just the first chapter of Genesis. So how was it? Exhilarating!
The choir was tuned up and did an awesome job. Singing Shout to the Lord with them was great. They also sang a favorite of mine, There Are No Orphans of God. Angie (my wife) and Tamara (the Choir Director) sang Nothing But A Miracle Will Do. These special numbers highly exalted the King, but it was the congregational song How Great Thou Art that moved my heart most deeply. I’d been studying about the magnitude of creation, the vastness of the universe, and the miraculous nature of all that God brought into being. So when we sang “I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed” I did something rather unorthodox, especially for me. I stood. I stood in reverence and fear of the awesome God we serve. I was overwhelmed emotionally and spiritually. The Spirit of God moved in my heart in that moment, and I stood, raising my hands high toward the God of heaven, not caring what anyone in the auditorium thought! It was unabashed worship, and it ought to be that way all the time!
I can’t wait until Sunday, to move on to the next passage. The Word of God is so inexhaustible, it seems I’ll never preach the unsearchable wisdom of God in this one short lifetime, but I’ll live and die trying!
Last night, the local association officially voted to name Larry Hendren the new Editor of The Baptist Banner, which will free up that much more time each month for me to spend doing the things that matter. Please keep praying that I’ll have all of my priorities right, spending adequate time in prayer, in study, with people, and with my family. And may God get the glory as we learn to fear Him, love Him, and stand in awe and reverence of Him!
The Nightline Debate: Proving the Existence of God
Last night, millions watched the debate between Kelly and Brian Sabient (representing atheism) and Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (attempting to prove God’s existence without using faith or the Bible). I have reviewed as much of the video as I can stand and have come to some interesting conclusions.
At first, I was disappointed in Ray’s use of Scripture in his opening comments. He had made a commitment to prove God’s existence without the Bible and then proceeded to use the Bible, handing ammunition to his enemies who took full advantage of the moment and exploited his mistake. After much thought and prayer about the matter, I’ve come to the conclusion that Ray had not choice but to use Scripture.
This was his chance to speak to millions of “on the fence” people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Further, Ray believes that the Word of God has the supernatural ability to pierce through the hardness of the human heart. And finally, Christianity has made the mistake before of attempting to prove God’s existence without the Bible and our attempts at doing so have failed to convert people or change our surroundings. A convincing argument for a Creator might be fabricated from the witness of nature, but a converting faith is only borne on the wings of God’s inspired revelation of Himself to mankind. What was Ray’s mistake? It was in agreeing not to refer to faith or the Bible to begin with.
The reason I could not stand to watch the entire debate online, stopping the stream early instead, was because of the knot that formed in my stomach as I listened to Kelly blaspheme God in such an extreme way. My heart breaks for her. It is apparent to all who watched that atheism leads to intellectual arrogance and belligerence toward Christians. This rebellious attitude is not only proof of the fall of mankind into sin, left unchecked it always leads to the ultimate end of a soul unable to repent because of the hardening of the heart through the deceitfulness of sin. Should Kelly continue choosing to blaspheme God, she will inevitably push her will beyond the point of ever humbling herself before her Creator. She expressed that she’d rather go to hell than to live in eternity with a God she perceives as unfairly violent toward sinners. I hope this isn’t a self-fulfilling prophecy for her.
The thought that terrifies me the most is that they have become preachers of a false gospel. It isn’t that they question a Creator, it’s that they persuade others to purposely break the command not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit (a misinterpretation of Jesus’ intent, by the way). I’ve encountered the writings of Richard Dawkins and other such rationalists who purport that Christians are guilty of indoctrinating generations of people into believing in a warmonger-god. Yet the skeptics themselves are actively and intentionally recruiting followers to join them in their hate-filled, angry tirade against the very God who bought them with the price of His own dear Son.
At the end of the day, there will be millions who simply will not believe the gospel record. This is nothing new and we cannot naively assume that we’ll ever rid the world of atheism or agnosticism by simply arguing science or Scripture alone. What does seem to be new is the intensity with which atheism belittles people of faith. It is as though the battle lines are being drawn more clearly. The forces of light and darkness are engaged in a more intense form of warfare than at any other time in the recent past. Perhaps we’re moving toward a climax.
Perhaps it is that the day is soon coming when men will make their final choices concerning God and His Son. Should you accept the record of the Bible as inspired and inerrant, as I do, then you’ll discover that the Bible itself predicts the rising intensity of this debate toward the ultimate battle between Jesus and the forces of darkness. Thankfully, we who believe, already have the rest of the story laid out before us, and… Jesus wins!
Let the Word Have Its Way
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.” -2 Thessalonians 3:1
I must admit that few things in life are more exhilarating than preaching God’s Word. That’s how God has wired me, that my great passion in life would be to see people’s hearts changed by the preaching of God’s Word. But it isn’t just public speaking that changes people – it is the powerful and supernatural Word of God that does so. In fact, one key to great preaching is the willingness to stand and deliver, in the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s perfect message and then to step out of the way and watch God work.
The Word of God, when given free course, will change people to their core. We must simply pray that the Word of God is given the chance to do so. Sometimes we get in the way, thinking that our cleverness will somehow “help” the Bible out. Other times we simply doubt, at least subconsciously, the divine power of God’s Word to effect any real change. But the writer of Hebrews told us that the Bible is “quick and powerful” meaning that it has a resurrecting and reviving power unrivaled by anything produced by our creativeness.
The Word of God changes lives. It has for two millennia and it shall until Jesus comes again. Have you given the Word of God free course in your own life? Have you allowed it the freedom to change you at will? When you hear it preached do you tune in or check out? If you want to be all that God intended, then let the great Sculptor shape your life with His choice tool, His infallible Word!
Hearing the Word of God
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” -Romans 10:17
What do you think of preaching? For some, the word “boring” instantly popped into your mind. You’d rather be watching grass grow. Ask yourself, why did the Puritans sit in church services for three to four hours hearing a twenty-seven point message and demand more when it was over? I’ll tell you my opinion – they didn’t have TV!
Today, we have our choice of entertainment from an array of captivating nothingness. From soap operas which make the drama of our own lives seem dull, to “reality shows” which really just capture the most controversial forty-five minutes of the previous week for a group of people, detective shows which portray to us the most degrading side of humanity, citcoms that trivialize life’s most serious issues, and even adolescent programming that heightens every pre-teen’s social sensitivity a few notches. Preaching simply can’t compete… or can it?
For the Christian, hearing the preaching of the word of God is like an oxygen line to a firefighter in a burning building. It is the steady diet of meaty substance which carries us through difficult weeks. Without preaching, life becomes trivial. Without preaching, we live on spiritual cotton candy, but we need meat, we need substance. That’s simple one reason why hearing the Word of God expounded is a significant need for every human being. But consider something else…
Preaching is God’s chosen central feature of Christian worship. It is through hearing the Word of God that our faith is increased. When we hear the Word of God expounded, real worship happens. W. A. Criswell explains:
This is worship at its highest; all the faculties of the mind and all the power of the soul are raised to their highest use. It becomes an offering up to God of the truth proclaimed in his name. Ritual is no substitute for reality; ceremony cannot displace consecration… Faith cometh by purification? by candlelighting? by incense burning? by liturgy repeating? No, but by hearing the word of the Lord.
The next time you’re tempted to skip out on the preaching of God’s Word and opt instead for watching football, heading to the lake, or simply sleeping in, realize that the God of the universe wants to speak directly to you. The Bible is His “thus saith the Lord” for every area of your life. He’s given you a message that contains all you need to survive and thrive spiritually, but you must open it, read it, study it, soak it in, and hear it preached. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to counfound all the wisdom of the world. Jesus Christ is our object of worship and the Bible is our manual of worship. Let’s return to hearing the Word of God, loving it, “Amen”-ing it, and living it out loud.
TREMBLE!
“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” -Isaiah 66:2 (ESV)
A man was given a Bible as a gift. Often Bibles will have imprinted on them the new owner’s name, but this particular gift Bible did not have an engraving on the front, but on the back. Only one word was engraved, “TREMBLE.” Inside the giver had written a reminder of Isaiah 66:2.
Do you tremble at God’s word? This trembling can certainly convey a variety of feelings. Trembling can represent an anxiousness and anticipation. Trembling can represent an overwhelming joy. But in this case, trembling represents a fear, reverence, and awe. When we come to grips with the magnitude of God through His perfect Word, we are prompted to tremble.
What an awesome book, the Bible! What an awesome God! He is robed in majesty, seated on the throne of heaven, ready to come with judgment in His hand. When God speaks, we ought to listen. When our Creator whispers through the veil into our ears, we should immediately stand to attention. Yet the Almighty often goes unheeded. His words are neglected. His voice is ignored. Oh, that we would learn to TREMBLE.
Is the Battle for the Bible Over?
A well-known Christian apologetics ministry denies the accuracy of the biblical genealogies to support an old-earth view. America’s most well-known evangelist and spiritual mentor alleges in a Newsweek article that “I’m not a literalist in the sense that every single jot and tittle is from the Lord…” A leader in the emerging church movement asserts that we must re-examine our claim that Jesus is exclusively the way to heaven for all peoples.
About Brandon Cox
Brandon is first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. He's a husband to Angie and a Dad to Ella Grace and Samuel David. He's a Pastor to Bethel Baptist Church, Editor of Fuel Your Blogging and also a logo and web designer.
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