Words of Life — Don Courville

The Word of God as Life-Giving Revelation

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak, and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.

Because I will publish the name of the Lord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are judgment, a God of Truth. And without iniquity, just and right is He.

Father, we thank You for Your Word, You're a powerful God. We are to ascribe to You greatness as our God. And so we praise You and we thank You, and Lord, You said, hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

May we hear the words of Your mouth this morning. And as was mentioned, if there's someone here that's not ready to die, that they would prepare their heart right now to repent of their sins and to receive Jesus into their heart, that they might be born again, that they might live eternally in heaven with You and other believers.

We praise You and commit this time to You, ask that You teach our hearts about the Word of God. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. If you'll remember, a number of months back probably, I was going through the book of John and then I stopped.

That's my policy, is when I come up to something that I don't understand and see yet, I stop. And so I've been in John 6, laid aside books and just went to the Lord to teach me John 6. I felt like we was going through and learning things.

And then when it came down to about eating His flesh and eating His blood, I wanted to know what the Spirit of God really said about that. And so in the last couple of weeks, I really picked up my Bible and just began to meditate as I had a little bit more time, which is sort of a rare thing nowadays, time.

There's so much to do. But just to meditate on it. Every time I did, it was usually in the mornings, I was just blessed. It just blessed my spirit, blessed my soul. And I have not felt like I was ready.

And as we come up to today, Lord, I'm still not ready. And the Lord just said, go ahead and share what you know. And so I'm going to just share with you about John 6, what the Spirit of God has just taught me.

Nothing fancy, no razzle and no dazzle. And I was going to have a word picture, but I forgot it. It was a loaf of bread. It's out there somewhere. Because the Word of God is compared to bread. And if you remember how John started off, John, the book of John was different in a lot of ways.

No parables were really taught in John, a lot of different things. But the Word is really emphasized in John. If you remember, even in John 1, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him. Was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. In him was life. He's the Word.

And of course, verse 14, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So Jesus was referred to as the Word.

Christ as the Bread of Life

Now, thank you. Somebody brought the loaf of bread that was left back out there. This is a loaf of bread. This is going to belong to somebody. Matter of fact, it's already somebody's, this loaf of bread.

It's been given as a gift. The bread is a gift to one family here. In thinking about Jesus as the Word, he's also as the bread. We're going to get over to John 6. He was the gift. You are to take Jesus and receive him just like the family that's going to take this loaf of bread and they're going to receive it.

And what are they going to do with it? They're going to eat it. And if this bread comes out of the oven hot and you've got some butter and honey, a loaf of bread can go just like that. If you've got a hot loaf of bread and some butter and honey, around me it can.

It's nothing to eat four or five slices. It's just so good. You just want it. Keep eating it. Now, John, his name is called the Word of God, it says in Revelation. The name of Jesus, his name is called the Word of God in Revelation 19, 13.

Now, I'll go over to John 6. And let's just see what the Spirit of God will open up to us this morning. John chapter 6. If I was to give an illustration, and this hasn't been planned out very well. I've thought it through, but I didn't make any preparations ahead of time to do this.

But suppose I was to pick out somebody in the congregation out here. Just to pick somebody out. Paul, would you stand up please? Would you turn around please? Would you turn around again? Would you raise your right hand?

High. Higher. Raise your right hand high. I appreciate you saying high five. How? I'm going to be an idiot to speak. Raise your left hand. Okay. Raise your right foot. Raise your left foot. Now we've got a problem.

Okay. Put your right foot down. Your left hand down. Your right hand down. Bow your head. Sit down. Please. You've been trained very well. He did everything that I asked him to do except raise that left foot at the same time he had his right foot.

Because it was impossible. Now there's an illustration to us of a child obeying and doing what he was told to do. Now what would have happened if I would have said, Paul raise your right hand and he would have raised his right foot.

Suppose I said raise your left hand and he would have just turned around. Suppose every time I gave him a command he did something different. And suppose I needed him to do those things in that order for a certain reason.

It would have sort of maybe frustrated me, embarrassed his parents. But is not this what God expects us to do? Is to do what he tells us to do especially or expressly as he tells us to do it. And as we do it, we work with him in being his hands and being his feet and being his mouth and his eyes and his ears.

Where he can direct us around to minister. He went to heaven and gave us the Holy Spirit. Now if he is to direct us, how is he going to talk to us? Through the Word of God. And as we meditate on the Scriptures, we memorize the Scriptures, we read the Word of God.

It's actually like taking this loaf of bread. We eat this loaf of bread. It assimilates into our body and gives us strength. We do the same thing with the Word of God. We eat the Word of God. We take it in.

Digest it. And as we do, it is something the Spirit of God can use to direct us. Now if we take in the Word of God and we get a commandment but we do not do what it says to do, then we are disobedient to the Lord.

We do not glorify him. We do not bring him honor and then we are not as useful. The more we obey the Word of God, the more useful we will be. And children, boys and girls, the reason mom and dad is giving you commandments and things to do not just to get the things done as much as we'd like to get them done because many times some of the things that are asked of you, it's just easier for us to do them ourselves.

But it's a discipline. Not only just to get the dishes done and get the garbage out and get the carpet vacuumed and get the beds made and get everything but also it's a discipline of how obedient you will be to God.

Or as your obedience is to mom and dad, it will be to God. The area that you're slack in, that you're slothful, that they have to keep coming back again and again will be the area that Satan will get into your life and destroy your very life.

So there's a lot more to this about obeying. I was talking to a couple men the other night. One thing was mentioned maybe about one preacher and preachers, we got hobby horses and things and one preacher had a hobby horse and if it's not good, you can talk to me about it, but if I've got one I love the Word of God.

I like to preach on the Word of God. And it wouldn't bother me to just preach every week just on the Word of God. And there's a reason. Just, I mean, about the Word itself, like we're going to do this morning just about the Word itself, there's so much there.

Then we go to other subjects and things, but it all comes back to Christ. It's because this subject is hated by Satan. The subject is hated because the object of our subject is hated. The Word of God is hated because the Word of God is Christ.

And Christ is hated. The Word became flesh. Now, I'm going to show you some things this morning in this chapter. If I can back you back up to John chapter 5, just to bring you back up. In 524, Jesus said, Now, there's a distinction between you hearing the Word of God and having life and not having life.

And the distinction is, if you have the Word of God in your heart, you have Christ in your heart, you will obey. But if you just get it in your mind, your life is going to be my choice, I do what I want to do, I'll do that if I like to do it, if it sounds good, or I'll do that to impress others or whatever.

But if you are really a Christian, you will want to do what the Scripture says. And you will be grieved when your life does not measure up to the standard. This is the standard. And we are all falling short of the standard.

But our goal is to get there and to obey the Word of God. As for that, then, we're not perfect. But we're striving to be holy, as He said He is holy, to be obedient. In 612, Jesus said this, Since the bread, the loaves were going to represent the Word of God, Jesus says, gather up the fragments.

He'd taken those loaves and He passed them out. Then they come up with this big, huge pile of leftovers and Jesus said, gather all of the fragments. And they put them in baskets, gave food to the disciples later on.

Let nothing be lost. Nothing is to be lost from the Word of God and God has given us His complete Word. And He doesn't want it to be lost. Now, look at verse 26. Jesus answered them and said, The loaves are mentioned there.

Look at verse 31. Bread is mentioned. Look at verse 32. Then Jesus said unto them, But My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Two different types of bread. The true bread, which is Christ, and then the bread that came down and they ate it, the manna.

Okay, look at verse 33. Just as this loaf of bread gives life to the body, Jesus gives spiritual life to the person that receives Him. Okay, 34. Then said they unto Him, Lord evermore, give us this bread.

This other bread you're talking about. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. Somebody says that they're hungry spiritually.

Spiritually hungry. We should never be spiritually hungry if we're a believer and we have Christ and the Word of God. We can feed on Him all the time. Which is usually what people say when they're fixing to leave a church.

I'm not getting fed. And that is true. If Christ is not being presented to them when they come, then they don't get fed. And then your spirit knows that when you go out of the church. You should know whether you've been fed or not.

And there's a difference between a T-bone steak and bologna too. One, you'll die. If you eat it and eat it and eat it and eat it. The other will give you nourishment. Not to say that you'll die right away.

It'll be a slow death probably. I don't hate that. Okay, 30 of 5. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.

Then slip down to 41. I'm giving you the bread passages. The Jews then murmured at Him because He said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. Then slip down to 48. Most of the bread passages. Jesus said, I am that bread of life.

I am that bread. Then 50. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. Okay, verse 51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.

And the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world. Now that's the bread passages. And then we get to the key part of it. There's another bread passage. And that's also in verse 58.

Eating Christ by Faith and Abiding in Him

The heart of the passage to me is verses 53 through 58. And let's read those verses. Then we'll talk a little bit. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, verse 53, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Let me throw this out. When he said, except ye eat, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of God. What this is, this is a single act of eating. What they call in the Greek, an aorist tense. It's a single act.

And the reason I'm bringing that out is he uses the next tense in verse 54. He uses what they call the perfect tense or a continuous action. In 54, whoso eateth. So the first eat, except ye eat, is a single act.

Meaning, unless you receive Christ as your Savior, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of God and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Except you receive Christ as your Savior, you have no life in you.

Then he goes in 54, whoso eateth my flesh, that's continually eating my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. Meaning, you receive Christ once and then you feed upon him continually.

Now, this offended the Jews. And the ritualists have taken this. Some take it that when they take communion they are actually literally eating the body and the flesh of Christ, cannibalism. And it's not even what he's talking about at all.

Communion was not even talked about until they got to chapter 13. So he's talking about living of Christ. Just you would live off of bread. Just you would live off of Christ. He is your life. Now, there is a key to this that unlocks all of this to let you understand what he's talking about.

What does it mean to eat of Christ? What does it mean? Was he talking about eating his body? Literally, no. But he put out that to them to see which of them, which way they would go. And Peter's illustration of the one that understood what he was talking about.

And those that got offended at him and they murmured and everything, they did not understand. In other words, Jesus threw out something to them. It wasn't a curve. Or maybe it was a curveball. But he threw something out.

How would they receive this? Went right over their heads. If they're in darkness, they have not been drawn by the Father, they have not heard what God is saying, they are not on the spiritual level. They're in another world.

And they go away scratching their heads. What's this mean? Eat him. Eat his flesh and drink his blood. Ah, that's gross. They missed the whole point. Peter got it. The disciples got it. Now, let's go on into the passage.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him. As, and that little word as I believe is a key word. As the living Father has sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me.

This is that bread which came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall live forever. Now, he's just giving you the key to the passage. These murmurers are the type that take away the word of God that change the word of God just like Jesus accused the Jews of doing they took away the word of God they were adding to it making traditions and whatever to stand up more than the word of God they had the murmuring spirit the murmuring spirit does not receive of the spirit of God.

Pride, Fear, and Self-Will Against the Word

Now, in going through this I had some lessons I'll just go through these quickly because I want to come back over to my concluding remarks. One lesson is pride will keep you from taking the word of God receiving the word of God, obeying the word of God it was their pride the fear of man.

The leaders would not come to Christ receive Christ, partake of him obey his words, do what he was saying hear what he was saying because of the fear of man no hunger they had no hunger for God really they had no spiritual hunger.

They had their little world going, their little program whatever and many come along. I don't want that I don't have that no desire, don't want that. Another reason that some would not take of Christ and receive from the word of God is because of self will.

Well that sounds really good but boy that conflicts with my plans. I wanted to go this way. I don't want to go to a cross. I wanted to go down to the beach and that's just about how practical Jesus is.

He comes right into your life and he knocks on your door and he says will you receive me as your savior or reject me. Oh I'd love to receive you just like the young rich ruler. Can I do it tomorrow. Jesus says now well I'd love to do it Lord.

But I've got this thing I've got to do this afternoon. It's now many are in hell because of later. I'll do it later. I'll do it later. And then not only is it like that for receiving Christ but also it's for obeying him by the spirit day by day, moment by moment.

When Johnny's told to take out the garbage or Susie or whatever later, Mom I'm busy right now, they're saying that their will is more important than Mom's will and this will carry over in their relationship with God, this is why I said to you what we do now will affect us later in life.

It's a lot easier to learn to obey now. While you're a young twig you know we could take a little oak tree out here and go out there and bend it over now. Real easy. But you come back in 50 years from now 100 years from now, you try to bend that thing over you won't budge it and that's the way a lot of older people are.

They're just like an oak, they're already set bend the twig now. Obey now now another thing they have not heard there is pride, fear of man, no hunger, self will have not heard, that was on the negative side.

Believing, Receiving, and Eternal Life

On the positive side of this is believing is receiving. Or actually let me put it like this. This is what the scripture says believing is having. If you believe in Christ then you have Christ. When you believe you have there's a miracle happens there.

Many say I believe and I have. But their life says I don't believe and I don't have. Believing is having. Look at 330 you don't have to turn back there. John 336 what's it say he that believeth on the sun hath what everlasting life.

And he that believeth not the sun shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him. Another one is 524. We read that one he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath what everlasting life.

Now I'm going somewhere. I'm not there yet. We're on our way and we're picking up some things as we go 654. Then we come to 654 and he says whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood. Hath what eternal life.

Now wait a minute. Didn't the other scripture said if you believed you have eternal life. And this comes back and Jesus says if you eat and you drink you have eternal life. Do you see how many miss it.

They don't get it to come over here that this eating and this drinking is the same as believing and receiving. And they're off in another world thinking about eating Christ literally showing that they are in darkness.

Do you eat of Christ. Do you. How do you eat of Christ. Now let's keep going and see if we can get into that a little bit. Eating is having eternal life. Ok look at verse 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him.

Not only is it having eternal life but it is having communion with the Lord because that word dwelling that's the word for abiding. He that dwelleth abideth. Eating is communion with the Lord. Eating is communion with the Lord in your spirit not talking about eating his body at all.

The Spirit, the Word, and the Words of Eternal Life

63 -68 63 -68. The Lord then tied this thing together like this. He said it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth. Nothing. The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life.

What do you eat. You eat bread for your body. You eat the words of God the words of God. This is why the enemy wants to take away the word of God out of men's hearts because they are spirit and they are life.

Jesus said it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth. Nothing. Nothing. The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life. And now slip down to 68 when Jesus when the crowds Jesus turned to Peter because in 66 it said from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve will you also go away. Peter was lit up like a light bulb. He understood this. He caught it. He understood this. And Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go. Thou hast the words of eternal life.

Peter had caught it that every word that Jesus gave gave life. Isn't there a proverb that says we speak words of life. When we speak words of death. Peter caught it that Jesus everything he said it brought life.

He began to see the Pharisees they were speaking things and it brought death. Now out of your life we will speak life. We will live life before others. Or we will speak death or we will have a testimony of death.

But Peter saw that Jesus his words brought life. Somebody came to him and said would you heal. And Jesus said I'm going to go. And he said no just speak the word. That man had ears to hear. He was up on the higher level.

Just speak the word and Jesus ah that's wonderful. He liked that because this man had risen up to the level of the spirit the word of God. Jesus said the flesh prophets nothing. The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life.

The Word Bringing Life to Dead Hearts

Just read the word meditate on the word and it gives you life dwelling abiding eating one more thing. I call this the wonderful words of life. We get that song the wonderful words of life. Do you have a situation that is death to your soul to your spirit something that you know is not right.

Or maybe maybe it's a habit maybe it's a work situation or whatever. Go to God's word and ask him to put put life into that area that's dead. I don't know if you follow what I'm saying. But if Jesus came in to the disciples remember when they were there in the room under the cloud of gloom the Lord had been crucified.

As far as you know he was dead. And somebody come busting in there and said he's alive. That was words of life. They perked up a little bit alive. What do you mean he's alive. Then Jesus came himself and spoke peace unto them.

What happened to their lives. Their lives were changed. They were never the same. Again the word of God will bring life into dead areas into dead hearts. That's why when we're witnessing to somebody give them the word.

Always try to at least give them a word or a rhema from God. A word from God. Because the spirit of God will take that because the spirit works with the word. Now let me conclude by asking you a question.

Loving God Through Obedience

Do you love God. Do you love God. Do I love God. Do you love God. Jesus said John 14 verse 14 15. If you love me keep my commandments. If you love me keep my commandments. Verse 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me.

And he that loveth me shall be loved to my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Loving God is not some gushy mushy feeling. It is obeying him. Loving God is obeying his word. The reason many of our churches are becoming uncomfortable for a lot of people is because the churches are not loving God too much.

They're loving the world the ways of the world. And that's why they're not obeying the word of God. Because they don't love God that much 15. Verse 14. Ye are my friends. If you do whatsoever I command you.

John 17 7 8 and 14. Now they have known him known that all things whatsoever thou has given me or of thee for I have given unto them. What did Jesus give the disciples. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me.

Think about it. Those disciples receive the words of God through Jesus Christ. He was the avenue first. He said we love God. Jesus said no you don't. You love God. You love me. Also if he said in one more verse also in verse 14 I have given them thy word.

And what happens to disciples that get the word of God. And the world hath hated them. Because they are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world. That's why the Lord says think not strange concerning the fiery trial that's going to try you.

Because when you begin to eat of the bread of life it's going to put life into you. And Satan does not like life. He does not like Christ. It's actually the life of Christ in you. I want to read these statements.

A person eats Christ's flesh drinks his blood. He is the partaker of Christ by receiving the word the Holy Spirit teaches you. A person eats Christ's flesh drinks his blood. Then you become a partaker of Christ by receiving the word as the Holy Spirit teaches you.

You're taught by the Spirit of God. So whatever have you ever noticed this. Whatever the Bible says about itself this is a good study for you. Whatever the Bible says about itself it says about Christ also.

Christ, Truth, Light, and the Written Word

Did you know that I'll just give you a couple of illustrations. This would be fun to go off and do about a couple dozen of them. But listen in John 14 6 Jesus said that he's the truth. I am the truth.

In John 17 17. What is the truth. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Jesus is truth. The word is truth. Whatever the Bible says about itself it also says about Christ. You want another one.

One more. You can see these are the easy ones. What about light. Christ is light. That's in John 8 12. Go back to John 8 12. Let me just read it to you. You know it. But he says I am the light of the world.

This make Jesus again to them saying I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness. Doesn't Scripture say anything else about light. Job. I'll tell you about Job in a minute.

But Psalms 119 105 thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a what and a light unto my path. Jesus and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. So the word is lamp. Peter saw it. Do you see it. Does the word offend.

You does the word comfort. You does the word can confront. You does the word correct. You does the word feed you. You say yes it feeds me it comforts me it corrects me but it does not offend me. Great peace have they which love thy law.

Nothing shall offend them. What did Job say when he was in his trial. And I'll close down on this. It's getting late in Job. In chapter 23 12 he said I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Every word I have in my hand the Bible that has the word of God. I'm to live by it if I pick and choose just like you kids.

I don't want my spinach. I don't want to eat this and this and this. You know we pick and choose with other things. And then we think we can pick and choose with God's word. It really will kind of conflict with our wills.

Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. Let's pray Lord. This is a simple truth that our spirits would receive. And I just pray that you challenge us to realize that your word.

We cannot separate your word from you. And this is the way it is in our lives. Also we cannot separate our word from us. Help us to be more careful about what we say even from this. And also to recognize that we will speak words of life or words of death.

Peter realized Lord that you were speaking words of life that has the words of life. And he caught it. And thus the principles taught us that we will live as we partake of the living word the living bread.

Lord thank you for this lesson. Thank you for your word. We just want to thank you this morning for your word. What a wonderful thing that we have the word of God in print. No wonder Satan hates this Bible so much this word.

No wonder there is such an attack on believers that hold to the word of God. Thank you for your word Lord just thank you for yourself for coming down to feed us. We just deserve nothing from you deserve to go to hell for all eternity be separated from you.

But you love us so much. You didn't leave us. You came down and you spoke to us. And then you gave us the written word. We have used the living word and your written word. We just want to thank you for giving us these wonderful words of life in Jesus name Amen.