The Word of God
Hebrews 4:12 & 13
Emmanuel Christian Church 6.1.2025
INTRODUCTION: When I say, “The Word of God”, what immediately
comes to mind? At LEAST two things should: The Word we can hold in
our hand, and the Word in Whose hand we are held!
How important is the Word of God in both the Person of Jesus and
His Word, the Holy Bible? Just listen to this!
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach
and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
That’s the positive argument for the Word of God, but there is also a
powerful warning against our neglect.
In the Revelation, Jesus is pictured as the Mighty Conqueror
returning with the armies of Heaven to Judge mankind according to His
Word. Not only is that Word the standard by which all will be measured, it
is His very name!
John records at His return, Jesus…
“…is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of
God.” Revelation 19:13
PROPOSITION: This morning, we’re going to focus our attention on just
two verses from Hebrews chapter 4 that directly relate to the Word of
Christ that we hold in our hand.
Next week, we will consider the Word of God, in whose hand we
are held!
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints
and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing
in all creation is hidden from God’s sight Everything is uncovered and laid
bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Three words are going to help us remember what God has to tell us about
His Word this morning: LIVING, SHARPER, NAKED. Look at these two
verses, remember those three words and you’ll get the message!
LIVING
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active.
- Living, NOT dead, that is to say NOT “irrelevant”.
- What are the exclusive benefits of God’s Living Word?
- Morality: Absolute (“absolute” because it originates with God’s
authority, NOT man’s opinion) rule of right and wrong. THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
- Purpose: It clearly spells out life’s purpose in the two GREATEST
COMMANDMENTS
- Identity: Created in the IMAGE OF GOD
- Wisdom: Based on two principles; God IS and God has SPOKEN
- Living, actually life giving sustenance!
- Let’s call that: Spiritual FOOD
Ephesians 4:11 It was (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and
teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the
body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in
the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the
whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth
by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by
the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is
the Head, that is, Christ.
- To understand what we just read, we need to recognize there is a BIG
difference between FEEDING and being FED- spiritually speaking!
- How often do you hear someone leave a church saying: “I just
wasn’t being fed.”?
- Now, if the WORD is not being preached or taught in a church,
that’s a legitimate problem!
- HOWEVER, that’s not always the case! SOMETIMES it’s about the
DIFFERENCE between being FED and FEEDING. Allow me to
illustrate…
- Infants sit in a high chair and are FED.
- Remember the “A Christmas Story” movie?
- “Meatloaf beat loaf, I hate meatloaf!” (Randy, from “A Christmas
Story”)
- In the presence of wholesome food- Randy refused to eat!
Spiritually speaking it’s exactly the problem Paul addresses in…
Hebrews 5:12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over
again. You need milk, not solid food!
and again in…
1 Corinthians 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as
worldly — mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you
were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still
worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not
worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I follow
Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
The difference between spiritual infants and spiritual adults is simple-
infants need FED, while…
- Adults FEED themselves!
Hebrews 5:13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not
acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for
the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish
good from evil.
- What constitutes “constant use”?
- Daily, personal Bible reading.
- Regular Sunday School attendance.
- Staying awake during the Sunday sermon (take notes, read the outline
and check up on the preacher).
- How important to us is constant FEEDING on the Word of God? Just
listen to what Jesus said to satan:
Matthew 4:4 “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every
word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Listen to what Jesus said to His disciples when they were concerned
that he needed to eat something:
John 4:32 about.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing
APPLICATION: What was Jesus talking about? The WORD of GOD. True,
life giving, spiritual food by which those who follow Him grow up in their
faith, becoming spiritual adults cast more into His image with each
passing day!
Not only is the Word of God living, life-giving sustenance, it is…
- Powerful
- In criticism of the religious teachers of His day, Jesus said:
Matthew 22:29 “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures
or the power of God.
APPLICATION: You simply cannot be a follower of Jesus apart from the
WORD of God and its POWER in your life. Remember- Jesus IS the WORD
of GOD!
We live in dangerous last days. Some, claiming to be disciples, have
by their conduct rejected Christ and the power of His WORD:
2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God — 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing
to do with them.
But, let’s not forget another thing as we think about the power of the
WORD of GOD, it’s NOT just what Jesus said, it is WHO JESUS IS! Just
listen to this!
Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all
creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all
things, and in him all things hold together.
APPLICATION: The Word of God isn’t mere words lying flat on a printed
page, or a text on your phone, or a blog on the internet. The Word of God
is the Supreme Living Being from Whom all things descend, and to
Whom we will all give an account!
Which brings us to our second word this morning:
SHARPER
Hebrews 4:12(b) Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
- Sharper than sharp! The sharpest of all things sharp!
- Swords have two functions:
- To save from threat or to kill the enemy.
- It all depends upon who holds the grip, or who receives the point.
- If you love God’s Word (your hand is on the grip), you will find your
defense in the midst of crisis and salvation in the face of death.
- If you oppose God’s Word, don’t be surprised by the pain of the edge
and the point!
APPLICATION: The real reason people don’t read the Word of God isn’t
because there are names that are hard to pronounce, or history that seems
irrelevant to today- it’s because it’s shockingly painful when it reveals
the sinful condition of our soul! It’s that ability of the Word of God that
brings us to our final word for this morning…
NAKED
Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom
we must give account.
- “Uncovered”, literally “naked”
- “Laid bare”, literally “to bend the head and bare the neck” as in
preparation for execution!
- So, what is it that strips us naked of every pretense, and bends our
head and bares our neck? The powerful conviction of the Word of God
and the Spirit of God!
APPLICATION: It is at that precise moment wisdom should move us to
repentance. What is that? Agreeing with what God says about us and
what we do, and making the choice to bring our actions and attitudes in
line with His.
James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what
it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking
at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But
the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he
will be blessed in what he does.
Psalms 119:9 [Beth] How can a young man keep his way pure? By living
according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me
stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I
might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your
decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your
mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great
riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I
delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
CONCLUSION: “I will not neglect your word.” What a beautiful pledge for
the people of God! I challenge you to make that YOURS as you walk
through this week.
