TiL Podcast- The Word of God

Welcome to the truth and love podcast. Thank you for joining us tonight We're gonna be talking about the

Word of God and hopefully answering your questions. So join us Let us know you're watching and stay tuned

What's up, Dan, how are you doing? I don't know I'm doing okay doing good

What's the temperature in New York right now? Oh, I don't know. I woke up this morning. It was eight or six

I don't know. It was really cold So sure we're below zero Are you serious?

Well, not zero below freezing. Yeah, 27 right now. Wow. So are you?

Continuous snow coverage I'll tell you what. We haven't had snow like this year

Really? Yeah, we've got brown grass and it's it's the weirdest thing like we nobody knows what to do with it there was a there's a big push by the the

New York Department of Transportation to hire a bunch of plow drivers and It just didn't snow this year

Now to me that's odd Now maybe a week and a half from now.

They're expecting somewhere between two and six inches Maybe even this week depending on where this bit of rain and stuff comes through I don't know.

But yeah, we haven't had much which makes me it's actually it's been no mid 30s and For a high and you know, we even hit 40 a couple times

So it's making me real nervous to what February is gonna bring me what we may not get over zero for like the month of February Apart from the temperatures you're almost

You may feel like you're back in North Carolina it Well, even the temperatures like during the middle of winter when in North Carolina, you know end of January first part of February Where you're like 20s in the morning 30 almost 40 in the afternoon like that's what we're at right now

Wow Yeah, it felt kind of like a North Carolina winter. No, no snow on the ground.

Everything's just kind of brown and gray. Gotcha. Gotcha Well, um, thank you for watching the truth and love podcast tonight.

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There we go Yeah, hopefully we get some folks in and some questions asked the first thing

I wanted to throw out there today And if somebody watches this or listens to this later on during the year or another year

In the future, it may not be the same day. But today that they were doing this podcast is

Martin Luther King Junior He was a junior, right? No, Martin Luther King jr.

Day. And so the the Federal government celebrates Martin Luther King Day and Usually government offices many businesses take off today to celebrate his efforts

It's my understanding go ahead and it's my 11th anniversary today With my wonderful wife.

I do not have a machine that plays wonderful Hank claps or happy anniversary songs.

I wish I did quit get Claude Where's Claude Well, happy anniversary to Dan and Becky Absolutely, also 11 years ago today was

Martin Luther King Day. We got married on Martin Luther King Day. It was a Monday I'll tell you the story about how we picked that date some other time.

It's pretty funny Love to hear it

We'll start with that and on the next program being

Martin Luther King Day It's my understanding that we have some pretty big disagreements with his theology and the things that he preached not going to go there tonight, but thinking about him and what he did and Honoring him celebrating the the good things that he did

I Think is is appropriate. You know, we honor anybody who does does anything that Is honorable and and so we want to recognize that but it makes me think about the acts of humanitarianism versus The gospel and gospel acts or the effects of the gospel.

And so I think we touched on this In the labors podcast on Thursday We talked about how you know, the

Red Cross Is not it's not missions You you can't consider a

Red Cross or or one blood or Salvation Army. Well, I don't know maybe erase that maybe

Although they do deny the sacraments. So I knew there was something you're on notice. Yeah issue about the

Salvation Army Goodwill You know places like that, you know, we they're not missions biblical missions

They're just good deed doers as a quoting the Wizard of Oz tonight They're just good deed doors and what we know from Scripture, there's a

Seeming seemingly good deed is really not a good deed at all. If it's not flowing from the Holy Spirit so but it does

By the what would we call it common grace or the grace of God? I'm Believers can do humanitarian acts and save a life giving blood saves a life

I Guess giving money to save animals helps save animals from abuse so There's good deeds good deed doers seemingly inhumanized

And and Martin Luther King he worked hard To save the lives to to honor all men

And I think that was a part of his part of his message. Of course, it was to to honor those of his

Agnes ethnicity But I believe that he he honored all life and all skin colors

But it's not the gospel It's not it's not a gospel act without Without the

Holy Spirit without the the gospel message without the good news of Jesus Christ that it's because of Christ That these things can happen

Do you have any thoughts I have a few more thoughts but but how would you respond to Humanitarianism versus Gospel missions evangelism gospel acts

Yeah, I don't necessarily think that Everything that we do now has to be missions.

Sometimes it's just time to stand up and do what's right because What's right, so I think that those are good things that could flow from from a gospel heart or it could flow from someone who

Perhaps doesn't know the Lord. Um, they could still be doing something good I think we make a distinction that that unless you're doing it for the

Lord It can't really be a good deed and I don't necessarily think that's true but I know where people are coming from because they're trying to make the

Distinction trying to let people know that just because you do something that is good It doesn't mean that that good deed will bring you into our right standing with God, right?

But it doesn't mean that the deed was evil Could have been done for very noble reason it could have been done for a terrible reason in which case it would it would be

Simple. Yeah. Yeah but I Think it's it's important for us to to recognize that that God's God's law, especially the law to Israel focused on doing things

That were beneficial to the society that they lived in and so that the people who were in nations and Societies around them would look at them and say look how good

Of a law they have their lawgiver must be fantastic and actually come

Come to know him So, I don't know dude do with that what you will oh

Oh, yeah, well, I see where you're coming from and I agree with you, you know that the act itself is good I think maybe

I was referring to the The person that is coming from you know, the act itself is good and sure sure.

Well, I mean even even if it's good the the person may be doing something that is good, but just like Just like it says in In the

Bible though those good deeds when when looked at for what they do with our standing between us and God is

It's like filthy rags. Yeah might as well be Worthless, right?

Um if we're trying to make Make the good deeds that we do

Bring us to into relationship with God You know once we have relationship with God one of our major Purposes in this world is to do good deeds, which could be these humanitarian efforts

Preaching the gospel some people have this gift some people have that gift all of us as a church should be reaching into all these

Spheres in doing all of those things rightly So, I don't know did you do whatever you want to with that information?

I'm not trying to make an argument here or there a big right It's just another thing to think about so we don't get off balance or off track or anything, right?

Well, I think there's also the idea too that the gospel has Has reach and it has effect so that so The gospel has created this this environment here in America Sometimes People mistakenly say that that we were we are a

Christian nation or we were founded as a Christian nation because the gospel had effect and and reach

Good things were able to happen and good things continue to happen because of the gospel effects and gospel reach from believers

I think that may be more of the case than they actually were actually a Christian nation or founded as a Christian nation

I mean, there's Christian influence Bible influence, but you know that we see good acts happening.

We the environment is Stable enough to where these good acts can happen because of gospel influence gospel reach

Does that make sense it it could I don't I don't know if I Don't know

I'm still working through all that with history and whatnot But there I think that there could be a case made where if you if you looked at American history what you would find is

Almost more of a trying to live a Christian life without Christ Because of the way we set up our

Constitution where we're not going to know actually state That Christ is

Lord, we're not going to have a established Religion we're not going to force people to believe or say that we are a people who believe this that or the other thing

But we're still going to base all of our our rules and laws and our structure on Christian principles

It's almost like the one who will know live out Proverbs the book of Proverbs like to the letter

You're gonna find great blessing in it because the way that God has set up his world Proverbs works like it's just wise

It's a way God's using God's wisdom in God's world But there's almost a sense where we as America Show to the rest of the world what happens when when

God's wisdom is used in God's world without God Eventually what you find or think to be wisdom

Turns to folly because you go further and further away from God But I'm not I can be proven wrong on that.

It's just formulary thought some stuff going on in my head and whatnot Well, I'm flowing.

I don't know how much has to do with what you asked me. I just rambled for a minute Well, I mean,

I'm I'm tracking along with that. I mean, I think I agree with that because Doing anything apart from God Even trying to apply biblical wisdom like you said

Proverbs or we're trying to found a nation apart from Christ Apart from the gospel like you said it, you know,

Jesus is not in the Constitution To me. It's always been like a hat tip and yeah,

I know that we respect In in our circles in our postmill circles.

There's a lot of guys that Promote the

Christian history in America, which there there was but as far as founding founding the nation on Christ It didn't quite happen that way

I know there was What strikes me and I was thinking about this today it strikes me that I Think it was

George Washington that was warning against Certain other religion and And also the the

Protestant aspect of The situation that was going on at that time where we were the process was were fleeing

Persecution from the Catholic Church from the Church of England. Yep, and so and Then somehow these these other religions

Those that we were fleeing from those that we were worshiping Or George Washington was warning against make their way and establish a presidency here in America How did that happen?

I mean this that's not what our topic is tonight and I kind of sidetracked there just thoughts I was thinking about concerning our

Christian history our in our American history But back to what

I was saying, you know God has graciously used used the gospel. I think to Preserve an environment where good humanitarian acts can happen even apart from him and so we're thankful for those who who stood for for other human beings because every human being is created and made in the image of God and On that note, you know,

I can't help but think about The the abolitionist fight that we're we're having now That so many

Christians don't even want to get into for whatever reason but we need to we need to reestablish and bring back up this this abolition abolitionist movement abolitionist mindset and Abolish abortion we we abolish slavery.

We did away with it and it we We claim rightly that it's that it's evil.

We need to do that with a with abortion now Claim that it's evil and Abolish it make it illegal completely

And so we we have an environment where that can happen because of God's grace because of the gospel effect still in this nation we we don't wait to where we're too far gone before that can happen, but as as Postmills post mill analyst we uh

We have a hope that it's eventually going to happen We just want to work toward it and hopefully see it in our lifetime

Yeah, but who knows it may not even happen while America looks like America That's true.

That is true. But what one day we do believe that this land will bow the knee to Christ and do so That's right

Absolutely nations nations will stream and nations will seek the law What a glorious what a glorious kingdom and glorious plan

God has And I'm thankful to be a part of it So, I guess with that being said let's jump into the topic we decided we decided all tonight we want to talk about the phrase the

Word of God Yeah, we we most commonly in our vernacular

When when somebody says the Word of God we think the Bible Yeah Yeah, the

Word of God but It's used in different ways and and we just we want to dig just a little bit deeper tonight on That phrase how it's used the different ways that it's used in Scripture Maybe some of the wrong ways that it's used by the way

Thank you guys for watching Say hello the chat room is open say hello ask your questions if you have any about church about Bible We'll try to jump on those questions and just join the conversation but tonight go ahead and start us off what you're thinking when it comes to the the phrase the

Word of God and while we want to Dig a little bit deeper beyond just recognize

The Bible as the Word of God. Yeah. Well, there's been some Some rumblings around the

Christian theology for me, especially recently but for a little bit on Making sure that our terms are biblical terms make sure that when we use a term or phrase

That the way that we're using it in the way that the Bible using it is the same way so that way we have not just a systematic theology where we

Try to put stuff in little compartments and understand things no, as no certain subjects where we gather all the information and data and put it down and Formulated a hypothesis and tested against the scripture.

We want to also have a biblical theology where we see from start to finish where? How the

Bible speaks on Things how does the Bible use turns a phrase how does the

Bible Interpret itself. How has God revealed himself to us through the scriptures?

And so as we look at stuff like that when we look at the phrase the Word of God What do we find that we as Christians do with that phrase?

How do we use it? And how does the Bible use it? So if we find ourselves using it in a different way than the

Bible's using it is there a reason for that is it valid is a valid sometimes and not other times and What sort of Misinterpretations might we be bringing to the text if we take our you know

Christianized understanding of the phrase as we use it and then import that into the

Bible when the Bible uses that Phrase, but it's using it in a different way I Don't know where you want to start

I figured that'd be a good be good overview of what we're trying to accomplish in the next 30 to 36 minutes and 14 seconds

Good math good quick math Well, I Found this article.

I thought it was pretty good article. It gives a good outline and it

You were talking about the the exact phrase Word of God This article is by Don Stewart.

You can find it on blue letter Bible comm he goes about looking at Not just the phrase

Word of God, but God speaking The Word of Christ Different different acts but aspects of the

Word of God And so I think I think it'd be good to look at all those different variations

And see where it takes us the first one He says it can be something that God has decreed

So his example was Genesis 1 1 through 3 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth they heard earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the

Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters and God said Let there be light and there was light so that there's there's the

Word of God Who's spoken out that was a decree? He's claiming from God and and it happened.

God said let there be light and there was light Sure, and the

Bible is all the time we'll use We use the word especially in the

Old Testament. We use the word to bar which is the Hebrew word for word We'll use that word in order to to say

Something that's been spoken by someone to someone else So what word have you brought us from afar or what word was spoken or God has spoken this word?

so there's definitely a usage in the Bible where When you say a word from the

Lord or how does it start about that? Veggie tales Jonah thing I don't know if you ever seen it.

It's funny a word for a message from anyway, don't go moving on So when you have that phrase a

Word from God or a word of God it's talking about something that has been spoken not just a single word, but a a

Teaching or a commandment or something even the the Ten Commandments are really called the ten words

So, yeah something like that so yeah, it's it's a valid usage of The word word

Yeah, here's here's an example he gives and he He lists two different translations

The first one is the New American Standard Bible Psalm 33 6 by the word of the Lord the heavens were made by the breath of his mouth all their host and here's the the net translation by the

Lord's decree the heavens were made and by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created.

So You get that that word that proceeds out of his mouth is is a decree that It's I would say it's an absolute decree.

So we got speaks it happens. And in this case it was Everything was created formed.

What verse was that? Psalm 33 6 33 6

The ESV says by the word of the Lord the heavens were made and by the breath of his mouth all

Their hosts he gathers the waters of the seas as a heap. He puts the deeps in storehouses

It almost sounds like it's personifying the word to be a he With which is the point

I'm trying to trying to make Is this a situation where it's talking about He So you the word you're gonna take it

You're gonna take us to that verse probably later on that we were discussing before the show

Which is which is very good, and I can't wait for you to share that so basically, this is a

Would you call this a Christophany? It it could be

What I'm what I'm saying is that that if we're going to understand what the phrase word of the

Lord or as this one says it's a Dabar Yahweh or word of Yahweh those little short

Capital letters are always God's name Yahweh Um is there

Does it come across from the Hebrew to the Greek where we have logos or?

We get into in Hebrew where it says the Word of God Where you you bring it out in the

Greek is that the same thing? It's one of those things that we need to look at Is all

I'm saying at this point because that particular aspect where we go in between the languages and everything

I'm I'm not so sure. I'd feel comfortable shoehorning a definite answer in there, but I definitely think that I Would need to look at it.

You know what's the subject there? Which actually I'll tell you I'll look that up Have the ability

While you were talking I just looked up another verse that I think goes right along with Your conclusions that you're drawing.

So you Let me how close are you to find another verse? Oh, I found it.

Okay, go ahead Let me find you again. I had to click off of it. I don't know where you are.

There you are. All right, I'm back So it's just it's a phrase they're linked together

There's a thing called an absolute and a construct in Hebrew where one is Primary but not necessarily in usage, but they're connected

So they're connected as a unit in the Hebrew I still couldn't tell you anything more than that without spending the rest of the no spending some minutes

I don't want to you know speak definitively where I can't but it's one of those one of those things

No, is it here should the W in word be capitalized? I don't know in this instance, but it's one of those things that we should look at.

How does the Bible Interpret itself. How does the Bible use this language as we move through the text?

It's it's important to know because we can get to somewhere and Be wrong about something, right, right

Well number number two on his list Don Stewart from blue an article in blue letter Bible comm number two

He says it may refer to God verbally addressing humans or personal address and the topic tonight is the

Word of God he references Genesis 2 16 17 and the

Lord God commanded the man and Then here's God God speaking. You may freely eat of every tree of the garden

But the tree of knowledge of good and evil You shall not eat for in that day. You should you eat of it.

You shall die The specific phrase is not used but it's

God speaking and God speaking to two man. So it's it's the word it's God communicating to man

Excellent, go ahead real quick going back to that passage in Psalm 33.

Yeah, sure verse 4 Starts for the Word of the Lord is upright and all his work is done in faithfulness

If you look at Christ his work is Upright and everything he does is done in faithfulness.

You go to then to verse 6 by the Word of the Lord The heavens were made, you know who created the earth

Jesus did the book of Hebrews says that God used Jesus to create the earth. So what whether whether I'm reading too much into it or not, there you go

Well, John says that and and Colossians right

Colossians It was Jesus Jesus made it through him for him by him

Yep, everything was me He uses Exodus chapter 21 verses 1 through 3 and God spoke all these words saying

I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of land of Egypt out of the house of bondage? You shall have no other gods before me.

So We got we got the Ten Commandments here, which is something you referenced earlier

So it's and that's that's kind of two Instances of the Word of God you've got you've got him speaking communicating to man

And then you have the command itself is the Word of God right Yep What's interesting when you get into?

It is in the New Testament, especially in John 1 and then you look at John 1 in Hebrews 1 kind of side -by -side

You you recognize it is calling Jesus the

Word He's the embodiment the exact imprint the radiance the mouthpiece of God So when it says that a word was given from the

Lord, it means that God has spoken To mankind now

Hebrews says in the Old Covenant it was through Many ways and divers manners or I remember the

King James, I don't know But it was it was no he spoke to the prophets. He spoke to envisions and dreams and Ezekiel's really fun because starting in chapter 12 and Following it says the

Word of the Lord came to me the Word of the Lord came to me the Word of Lord came to Now is that just that he was sitting there and he heard

God speaking to him that there was a message that came or is it a

Pre -incarnate Christ showing up and speaking to him Once again, we need to look at these things we need to see

What how is the Bible Using this and how should we understand it?

I think you have to go Through everything pull all your data and then go back and especially remember what

Christ said on the road to Emmaus that Everything in the law and the prophets spoke of him, right?

So I mean Whatever we come up with it needs to have all of those pieces fitting in the puzzle.

That's right Well, if that was the case what you're talking about you G in pre -incarnate

Christ coming Then it would be That would be the case and then also they would still be receiving a word of God because he would be bringing a message

Right both things were happening right, and then You were speaking of Jesus Which is

I think the point of Hebrews 1 That in in times past God spoke and how did

God speak he spoke through a mediary through vision prophet

However When he spoke to the us in these last days he showed up himself he spoke to us through his son the logos the word that was handed out bits and pieces to prophets and in Priests and everything through the sacrificial system and all of that What was handed out then has arrived?

The one who gave that word back then is now here the word that was spoken is here before you

And not just some messenger or angel, but someone who was much more

But know who has said Which of the angels did he say you're my son today? I've begotten you or sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies as a footstool before your feet

All from Hebrews Exactly. Yeah, and we may get to and talk later about the dangers of misunderstanding and misapplying misusing what we're talking about, but we're kind of leading ourselves in that direction because what you're talking about right here is

An association between Christ and the

Word of God that that we do not want to pull apart

Right, and it's a good association. Yeah. Yeah, we just want to make sure that we don't take that good association and Do something funky with it, right?

Because whenever you do something funky with something something that's good you turn into a heretic Yeah, yeah, we're not trying to do that, right?

So yeah Well number three on Stuart's list blueletterbible .com

he can refer to God speaking through human prophets, which is something that You mentioned brought up a few seconds ago from Jonah.

Yeah Here he Didn't hear that she'll never let me live it down Here he references

Deuteronomy 18 18 through 20 I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow

Israelites. Of course, this is Messianic that is speaking about Jesus. Mm -hmm.

Yeah, I will put I will put my words in his mouth Yep, and he will speak speak to them whatever

I want. I myself will hold responsible anyone Who pays no attention to the words that prophet will speak in my name but any prophet who presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak or Who speaks in the name of the other gods that prophet must die?

Right this this verse right here Wraps up pretty much our whole conversation and even takes us to the end

I think where I would have took the dangers of this because we speak of so -called prophets today or anybody who's claiming to hear word from God or even

Even Baptist ministers who want to stand up before the pulpit and say

Scratch scratch all this that I prepared all week I'm feeling a tug in my heart.

I'm feeling a word from God this morning That's that's dangerous. It is and I did that one time when

I was a pastor up here at the church, but still even then

I Went straight from a passage and exegete the passage just right fly, right?

Because it was late on my heart, but what was late on my heart wasn't a random message. It was No actual scripture.

Yeah. Yeah, and we can talk more about that later. But This association going back to our verse here in Deuteronomy 18 18 through 20

The association that you and I are drawing. I need to get my fingers if I want to use them in the camera frame.

Um The association that we're drawing here between Christ and and the word

Is so tight this this verse here draws in a third the word from the

Father that he's going to give the word The word from the

Father is going to give the word the words to say Right, and so there's a third association here

Right, and that's brought out in the Hebrews as well where it talks about him being the exact imprint And the the radiance of the glory of God, so he's showing forth the same the things that come

From the Sun are the things that have been shining forth from the Father The the light that shines from the

Father comes out in the Sun the when it says exact imprint It's got the idea of a stamp of a relief where if you punch it down on the page, you're going to get exactly what you had in the in the original which was

God so when Christ speaks God speaks and Further, we know

Christ is God, right? Right, right Here's another reference in the article

Jeremiah 1 7 the Lord said to me Do not say I am too young but go to wherever I send you and say whatever

I tell you So there's the role the prophet is to be speaking the Word of God. Yep, the

Word of the Lord Right, and it was a prophet sent by the Lord and not one who spoke spoke presumptuously

And and then two verses down in verse 9 and Jeremiah 1 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me

I will most surely give you the words you are to you are to speak for me No, of course you see that you see that promise in the

New Testament where the where the Holy Spirit will give them The words that they need to say when you're dragged into court and they ask you know, what gives

I'll give you the words to say Of course we got to be careful with that as well that may have been apostolic but it

Probably has application. It had a specific application to folks are gonna be dragged in front of courts

When they were going before people who were supposedly. Yeah They were supposed to be

God's ministers for for good right and justice and when they drag you there for being good for doing good things

No, they're gonna have no something spoken to them you're going to Speak boldly

Whatever it is that God lays on your heart and they're gonna hear They're gonna hear a message that morning or afternoon or whenever they usually the middle of the night

Sort of kangaroo court type thing exactly. Well, here's number four on his list.

Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Word of God He quotes John 1 1 in the beginning was the

Word and the Word was God and word The Word was with God and the Word was God And then he quotes the verse that I had looked up which

Speaks to where you were going and the verse that you want to explain

Revelation 19 13 he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood and the name by which he

He is called is the Word of God Yeah, so he a person has a robe

That is dipped in blood and his name or title is is the Word of God. Yep 100 % yeah

Which I think I think when the when the phrase

The Word of God is used which is only a few times a couple times. Mm -hmm.

I Mean still Open to finding an instance where I'm I haven't seen it before but I think

If not all Almost all of those instances are speaking of Jesus himself

Which would mean that when we think of the Word of God we need to think of our

God Christ Jesus the One who lived and breathed and created the world and died and rose again and sits at the right hand of the

Father So when we hear Word of God, we don't first think of that No dusty book that I should be reading more often

We think of the person of Jesus Christ now Because of all the work that we've done just a little bit ago talking about how

When someone speaks it's a word from the Lord I think it's it's accurate to say that the

Bible is the Word of God because these are the words that God has spoken to Us and I think that's what that's where people that's where people get that from That's why they call it the

Word of God and they're not wrong but Where we can get off track is when we see the phrase as we think of it

You know the Word of God, okay, everything Genesis to Revelation and we don't think

Word of God came incarnate Risen from or buried risen from the dead said it seated at the right hand of the

Father we can We can misinterpret some text and we it's almost like we put a buffer layer in between ourselves and our

God When When we when we think of Word of God if we primarily think of person and Then we understand that all of this comes from that person directly to us.

This is his representative to us his exact Speech that he's preserved for us and given to us

Then it's it's a little it should hit us a little harder It should be a little bit more real that that there is there's a real

God who handed these scriptures to us. It's not a

Scriptures that we where we find God There's a God that has revealed himself to us and given us his scriptures

Yeah Well that I mean they kind of leads us to number five the last one on in his article

Don Stewart blue blue letter Bible Calm it also refers to God's written word

And let me read you his his to He's got he's got three verses here.

I'll read these three verses. I'll give you a little story and get your reaction from it. So one of the one of the words or One of the ways that we can understand the

Word of God is what Dan has already been talking about the written Word of God So you got Exodus 17 14? then the

Lord said to Moses write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven and Exodus 34 27 and the

Lord said to Moses Write these words in accordance with these words. I have made a covenant with you and with Israel And in Matthew 15 5 through 6, but you say if someone tells his father or mother

Whatever help you would have received from him or from me is given to God He certainly does not honor his father.

You have nullified the Word of God on account of your tradition So in the

New Testament the Word of God Referred to that which was written down, but it was also talking about the

Old Testament and and so the story that I that I heard when it

In relationship to understanding the Word of God as the Bible The school that I went to I heard the story of a professor and at the very beginning of that I don't even know which particular class

This happened in I don't know if it was in all his Different subject classes, but at the beginning of the semester he would he would take his

Bible He would lay it on the ground and he would stand on it and he would say I don't even know what he would say

It was just the point of the fact that he was standing on the Bible and then you had you had all the Fundamentalists in the in the bunch, you know gasp

You you know, you're you're not honoring the book and so based on all the things that you were saying about Jesus being the

Word and and the Bible God's written Word What is your response to that his his approach and you know understand where he's coming from, you know, it's

It's fake fake leather binding Paper wood made into paper.

It's ink, you know, that's that's all it is It just happens to contain the words written down from God So, you know and there were some people though Even in in my traditions that Even hesitated to highlight or take notes in their

Bible. They didn't they didn't want to the fame Or graffiti the

Bible at all. There was so much respect and reverence for that book So, so, how do you respond to that?

Attitude. Oh, man. I'm gonna take some people off Please please listen to everything that I have to say before you formulate your opinion

Because for a half a second here, I'm gonna probably sound like a neo -orthodox Guy, I'm gonna sound like Karl Barth or somebody

So, please give me a second to clarify what I mean because I definitely do not mean what he meant when he said that the

Bible is Not he said the Bible is not the Word of God but the Bible contains the

Word of God and what he meant by that was That the the Word of God is not something that is written down on the pages of scripture, but it's something that you encounter when you read it and have a response to it now,

I Think he's way off base there so But what

I will say Number two the teacher professor was

It's pretty pretty dumb Like what like what's the point of it? You're trying to you know, take somebody off or just trying to get somebody to think or Whatever but the paper the ink the the

Whatever binding you have on there. It doesn't matter. You know this particular

Bible I have I said it on top of my My Jeep one day and drove down the road and it went flying papers.

It fell over. I've got you can see where it's coming apart right down here from where I flung it

It doesn't matter it did not harm the Word of God one bit because what the Word of God is It will number one

Christ number two. It's everything that he has spoken to us So the

Word of God is contained in the Bible in that he has recorded and preserved for us

The words that he wants us to have. Yeah his commandments his his

Encouragements his teachings his wisdom his recorded history of him doing all sorts of great things

Throughout history is contained for us on these pages So the

Bible is a book Whatever. What's really important is the things that were written on the page and not because they're written there

But because God himself has given them to us to know believe cherish and use

Yeah, yeah, I Could I can understand where they're coming from? But I could also have sympathies in the other direction as well because It does contain the

Word of God and I think what we're doing here tonight as we're having this discussion, you know, we're we're making these associations and these associations are so tight with who

God is and with who Jesus is that elevates the importance of this communication and God God has chosen to communicate with us

Through Christ and he I mean he told he told these guys write these things down write these things down and And they wrote them down and he promised that he would preserve them

But in in not all cases throughout history is there such an abundance of The text

I mean you have some cases where you you have persecution and it's illegal to have a

Bible so you have to tear pages out and That may be the only copy of God's Word that you may ever have your whole life

So why would you not want to try to preserve it? Right instances like that.

Sure Yeah, well here's here's I guess the point that I think would make the most sense

If you had a picture of me number one Sorry Sorry But if you would have a picture of me, would you know me?

I'd say no, you wouldn't I mean you may be able to look say oh, he's got no hair on top plenty hair on the bottom

You know big old weird -looking eyebrows or whatever. I don't know what you what you think of me

But what how would you get to know me apart from my actions and the words that I say?

I mean those are just as much a part of who I am as No the hair on my head or the wax in my ears,

I mean so how how How do we know

God? Through the actions that he's done and the words that he said

That's why the Bible is so incredibly important and precious to us because the

Bible is the recording of God's words and actions for us

So when we have that phrase Word of God Being spoken of as a a

A Person in Christ. We have a revelation of who

God the Father is Who who is God who you know, who is the one who's created the world who is

God and Through the person of Jesus Christ that is revealed to us and recorded for us in The scriptures.

Yeah, perfectly preserved. I would say Absolutely Let's let's wrap it up with the text that you and I were talking about earlier

And I think I think it would be fascinating for everybody that hears it and it may take you off guard for a second because Dan's gonna take us in the direction that We may not be familiar with but I think the conversation that we've had tonight is taking us in in The right direction and the context which which

Dan is going to draw out is going to help us understand this passage Yeah, so Hebrews 4 12 is probably fairly familiar to to some of you it says for the

Word of God is living and active sharper than any two -edged sword piercing to the division of soul and spirit of the joints and marrow and Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

What does or who it is? The Word of God there now

I've heard it my whole life The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two -edged sword and I was like, well, how is a

Bible fast? Number one, that's not how the word quick means it means alive But anyway, um,

I was like, well, how is a Bible alive? Well the Bibles and we talked about this how's about a lot well because because God speaks to us through it because You know, we we can encounter

God through it because the wisdom of God is there for us and I mean

Those are all well and good, but I really don't think that is what is being said here

Because if you go back into the rest of the chapter is talking about a promise for entering the rest of God That proves that you should observe the

Sabbath, but we'll talk about that at a different time because that's not what we're getting into today So look at this go back into verse 8 for if Joshua had given them rest

God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then there remains a

Sabbath rest for the people of God hint -hint right

For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his

So let us strive to enter that rest so that no one would fall by some sort of by the same sort of disobedience

That'd be the disobedience of the people At Joshua's time where they didn't want to go into the land.

They didn't observe The rest so that says for the Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two -edged sword

Piercing to the division of soul and spirit of joints and of marrow discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart

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

So what is alive? Is it saying that the scriptures alive while that may be true

It's not what it's saying here It's saying that Jesus is alive the Logos the word that became flesh and dwelt among us as alive

And he's active and he's sharper than any two -edged sword He can go so much into our being to divide our soul from our spirit now some people have a thing about there being us being

Two parts the body and soul or being three parts body soul and spirit a

Lot of people will say two I think it's three because it says body soul and spirit in several places, but don't ask

I've had somebody asked me Well, what's the difference between soul and spirit? Right? I don't know the

Bible seems to use them interchangeably at places I just know that it says body soul and spirit

So I'm happy with saying three, but even though I don't know the difference between soul and spirit Scripturally, yeah, there must be one because it can be divided it can be divided

So he can divide something that I can't even define differently Not only that but it can get to the the joints and the marrow

I Don't know how many of you have ever cleaned a deer But you have to really really get into it to divide the joints and the marrow

You end up knowing it Extremely on an extremely personal up -close -in -your -face level

Discerning the thoughts and Intentions of the heart now. Here's here's a fun thing when you look at The Old Testament, especially the heart and I'm pointing up here on purpose.

The heart was the thinking organ The stomach was the feeling organ So when we say heart

No, when we say our heart they would have said stomach when we say you think in your head they would have said heart

So the thoughts and intentions of the heart, what are you thinking? What are you intending to do?

God knows not only you and your thoughts He knows your motives and your basis desires as you're going through life and it says that no creature is hidden from his sight

But all are naked and exposed to the eyes of the him to whom we must give an account

Then it says since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God Let's hold fast to our confession

This isn't verse 16 Let's draw with less than with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in a time of need

The Bible is not just useful to showing Where we're going wrong in our life

What this passage is saying is that God himself knows you on such an intimate level that anything that you think you might be able to hide or anything that you think might be able to be hidden or Swept under the rug or anything that might get a pass

There's no way God can see every single thing that we have done and that is in the same person of Jesus Christ who went

And died on the cross for the sins of men so when it says that we can approach him a high priest who took his own blood and Laid that on the mercy seat who paid and covered for the sins of men and then we can approach his throne of grace

You know pleading with him. You've seen every bad thing. I've ever done. You've seen every sin and every wickedness

You know exactly what type of a wretch that I am. I Need your forgiveness

It's not a way for you to examine yourself through the scripture It's knowing a your

God on that deep of a personal level and still being able to approach his throne of grace

Boldly and find mercy when you need it Because you're not hiding anything from God You can't

So come to him and Confess your sins to him. You will find him to be a perfect Savior And that comes from knowing that he is the

Word of God He's the one that's been speaking since the beginning of of creation is the one who said let there be light and it was light he's the one who held the oceans in his hand and and numbered the

The dust of the earth and and he can look into the future and tell what's gonna happen He knows why stuff happened in the past and We miss that If we only think of this passage as being about the scriptures now

With that said the scriptures are very helpful for Getting in there and doing that work, but it's not saying that the scriptures know

The thoughts and intentions of your heart it's not saying that you must give an account to the Bible But to the one who spoke those words the one who is there

The the person the God that we know So there's there's that so you're saying that the author here is doing more than just anthropomorphizing the

Bible Yes He's a he's The whole purpose of the book of Hebrews is to show these

Hebrew people Who were tempted to go back on their faith?

You don't want to do that. I mean even like the first little bit Long ago and at many times in many ways

God spoke to our fathers by the prophets Cool, we had the prophets God spoke to us now.

He spoke to us through his son Everything that was being spoken to you then plopped down in front of you

But he's better than the prophets. He's better than the messengers. He's better than the angels

He is God And it goes on he says greater.

He's a founder of salvation. He's greater than Moses He is the one who has rest or doesn't have us.

He's the one who is alive and powerful Chapter 5 he's the he's the great high priest.

We're warned against apostasy and we're always pointed to Christ because Remember what

Jesus said he said you look to the scriptures to to find salvation and You because you think you find salvation in them, but what you don't understand is that they speak of me, right?

The scriptures are not an end of themselves the scriptures are a revelation of the one we're supposed to be seeking, right?

so To keep it academic or to keep it on a page is to miss the point.

Yeah The scriptures are helpful good useful and they can they they are the very words of our

God But the important thing is that we actually know the God who spoke those words

That's right, that's that's I guess if you Whatever else you whatever else you do.

Oh, Dan, you've you've Strained and in that or you're making too big of a deal.

I was so be it whatever No, the God of scripture and not just the scripture

About God no God himself Erase the rest of the program

That's that that's absolutely right absolutely, right and that's the whole point of us being on here It's because we want people to know the

God of the Bible We want to know people we want people to know the Savior of the Bible the Savior that came down to save Those who would repent and believe in him and and lastly just to reiterate something that we brought up earlier

We want to talk about the the dangers and going off track The The word is so associated well we know the word of as Jesus Christ himself, but But what he says how he what what he communicates is so tightly associated with himself period

You know It goes back to what we're reading in in Deuteronomy where if it's if it's not from him if it's found out that it's not

From him. He's speaking outside Of God he's speaking from other gods then he should die and and even if the continuationist are right and and God does still speak to us in some way.

We should be very careful about Communicating because we're saying

I'm I'm speaking the words of Jesus the words of our

God and That's a very dangerous Thing to say and thing to do

So even if it is true that God does still speak outside of Scripture through man

He did read you did that in the last days to this in these days He has spoken to us through his son.

I mean Hebrews just lays it out. That's right That's absolutely right and so if you want to if you want to speak the words of God read the

Bible if you want to hear the Words of God read it out loud sure now now on a little bit of a lighter note

We do have to ask our brother Tyler His bread -of -the -word podcast

Is that a is he speaking of a sacramental? usage bread of the word

Or is he talking about? Just just the word that was spoken. I don't know maybe both

Maybe we'll let him address that on his own program. Hey Jesus is the word.

Hey Tyler. We're calling you out. Hope you listen. Hope you listen to this program address this Sunday We want to hear we need an answer

Jesus is the word but also Jesus is The bread of life and if you hadn't thought about it roll it around in your head and give us what you come up with Well Well in the program here, we appreciate everybody that tuned in and watch thank you for your support

Dan Dan shared the gospel just a few minutes ago as he was discussing Hebrews that Jesus is a wonderful thorough gracious Savior and He spoke to us he come to us

He lived a life that We couldn't live and he died for us in our place so that we may live and The Bible calls us commands us to repent and believe in him put our faith and trust in him, so That's our call to you this evening

And and every day is that if you have not done that if you've not turned and run to Christ We would want you to do that as soon as possible

Be born again Be his child Be in his kingdom. We we would implore you to do that Soon as possible, but we appreciate your support of this program continue to pray for us if you would

Dan, would you mind to close us in prayer sure? Daryl and father thank you for our time together.

Thank you for your word and The word we thank you for Your goodness to us and your salvation.

We pray that we would continue to know you more and more and that you would Be gracious to us and have mercy upon us.

Do you send me pray? Amen. Amen. Thank you guys so much Join us next join us this

Thursday for the labors podcast at 830 join us again next Monday For the truth love podcast and we hope to see you there remember that Jesus is

King go live in the victory of Christ Go speak with the authority of Christ and continue to go out and share the gospel of Christ.