Pulpit Today Sermon
by Robert D. Pace
God has Prepared His Word to Work for You!
Isaiah 55:11
“So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish
what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
God’s Word is irresistible. It is immutable. Along with the Holy Spirit, it is empowered to meet any need you may have. It carries innate—inherent, intrinsic, built-in—endowment to work for you. No matter what the need; regardless of the situation; whatever the demand, God has prepared his Word to work for you!
(Transition) But on what basis should Christians trust the Word to work? Is there indisputable evidence that attests to the reliability of it? That’s the first point I want to make. I want to disclose how the Bible is wholly dependable and readied to work for you. And my first point is this:
1. God himself used his Word to create the universe.
I realize this point is a “by faith” example. But as Christians, living “by faith” is what God demands of us. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” Thus, let’s proceed with “Point 1.”
John 1:1—3 says this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
And Hebrews 1:3 says God “upholds the universe by the word of his power.” [ESV]
Do you see what these verses disclose? They show God himself demonstrating the readiness of his Word to act with power! And if he specifically used his Word to create the universe, and then continues to uphold the universe by his Word, then it’s certainly sufficient to work for us.
Since God is omnipotent and all-knowing, there’s were a billion ways he could have brought forth Creation. But he ignored those methods and employed his Word. Everything that is, came into being through his spoken Word. And this demonstrates the reliable nature of the Bible.
(Transition) Now that we see how God himself proved the veracity of his Word, I want to disclose how Jesus himself employed the Word.
2. Jesus proved the reliability of his Word when he employed it to combat Satan in the wilderness.
As Christ reached the end of his forty days of temptation in the desert, Satan launched three final traps for him. Satan said, (1) “Turn these stones into bread”; (2) “Worship me”; and (3) “Jump from the high place of the Temple.” In each case, Jesus quoted a refrain from the Old Testament by saying, “It is written.”
Always remember that there is a reason Satan fears the Word of God. It’s described as “a hammer … a rock … the Sword of the Spirit … fire … (and) a light” that exposes his lies. These are things that beat back and discomfit Satan. Moreover, since Jesus is our example in all things, and he rebuffed Satan with his Word, then so should we!
(Transition) Now for the third reason you can trust the Word.
3. As the Author of Scripture, God has staked his reputation upon the accuracy of the Bible.
The Bible is not trustworthy because it was written by men of superior intellect or those skilled in prose. It stands worlds above other books because the Holy Spirit—the third person of the Godhead—intervened and inspired the writers of Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16 affirms this when it says, “All Scripture is inspired by God.”
There are approximately 1,817 prophecies in the Bible. Yet to this point, no prophecy has failed—all have come to pass or are in process of finding fulfillment! Here is what’s significant about prophecy: The Bible’s ability to peer into the future and see the un-seeable; to know the unknowable—all without error—makes the Bible self-validating!
This is why the Lord told Isaiah: “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come” (46:10) . . . “I declared them to you long ago, before they took place I proclaimed them to you” (48:5). When the Bible predicts the future 1,817 times in flawless fashion it becomes the surest sign that God will not permit one stroke of the prophets’ pen to fade or falter. Their words remain evermore true!
This means, God fastened his integrity to the reliability of his Word, and if his Word should fail his Name would fail. But that won’t happen! Jesus said, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota or dot will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). After hundreds of years of scrutiny, the Bible has never been exposed of making false claims. Its records regarding science, physics, antiquity, and archeology have never been disproven.
(Transition) But there is a fourth reason that God’s Word is reliable:
4. The divine nature of the Bible affirms its reliability.
I like the way the Apostle Peter addresses this. In 1 Peter 1:23 he calls it, “The imperishable . . . living and enduring Word of God.” That means no foe can defeat it; no skeptic can subdue it; no assassin can silence it; and modernism cannot outwit it. So long as the world endures so shall his Word endure!
The Lord himself has certified that his Word is perfect, pure, and flawless. David said in Psalm 12:6 that, “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” [ESV]
Here’s Paul’s characterization of the Word in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”
And then Hebrews 4:12 says this: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.” What do you think Hebrews 4:12 wants us to understand when it says the Word of God is “alive”? The writer is telling us that God’s Word works for you! No matter what the case, his living Word is more than equal to the task!
Think about it: Humanity constantly battles deadness. We face times of drought and leanness. Our innervations force us to confront loss and loneliness; disorder and confusion; pain and disease. But that’s okay! God’s Word is all life! And it can bring life to hopeless situations! And I want to illustrate this by sharing the Parable of the Farmer in Mark 4.
Parable of the Farmer
(Example) Do you realize that farmers do not reap a harvest based solely upon their implementation of the laws of agriculture? While farmers must plow, plant, water, and prune something must transcend all their efforts before their harvest appears. Their harvest depends upon what I call, “The God Factor.”Let’s read Mark 4:26—28, and I’ll show you what I mean:
He [Jesus] also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. (27) Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. (28) All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
(Insight) Here’s my question: Who is responsible for imputing resurrection life into dead seeds—God or the farmer? Of course, it’s God! Romans 4:17 says, it is “God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist.” Ultimately, it is God that speaks over every dead seed that is sown, and somehow imparts life. That’s the power of his Word!
5. The immortal nature of the Bible affirms its reliability.
(Illustration) Years ago an artist rendered his depiction of God’s Word. The centerpiece of his artwork was a large anvil. Lying around that anvil were broken and ruined hammering instruments. Underneath the picture were the words: “The word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). On many occasions, the artist’s objective is to present scenes of beauty; but not this painting. The artist’s intention here is to inspire thought from his patrons. And his intention certainly captured my thoughts! I see dozens of instruments of weaponry and war wasted away by pummeling this anvil. And just like that anvil, God’s Word has endured an unfeigned assault from skeptics and critics throughout the ages; but all to no avail! And it’s from that picture that I hear the words of Richard Wurmbrand saying, “Hammer away, ye hostile bands. Your hammers break; God’s anvil stands.”
Let me tell you something about the Word. The world can mock it, slander it, attack it, ignore it, or distort it; the assassins of Scripture can shred it pages, outlaw its reading, or ridicule its integrity. But as long as the world endures his Word shall live! The apostle called it “The imperishable . . . living and enduring Word of God,” (1 Peter 1:23) and that means it is totally trustworthy and can conquer any foe.
Conclusion
It’s for these reasons that God’s tested and proven Word is prepared to work for you. And here’s how you can implement it:
You can use the Word to claim its promises.
You can use the Word to pray with power.
You can utilize the Word to resist the powers of darkness.
You can use it to guide, guard, and secure your life.
You can place all your hopes in it.
You can use it as a fortress, a tower of refuge, and a wall of defense.
It’s profitable for forming your beliefs, convictions, and testimony.
And you can use God’s Word as the everlasting Rock of Ages that will never let you down!
Put God’s Word to work! God has prepared it to work for you!