START HERE: THE POWER OF THE WORD

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Over the past year, we have walked through all 66 books of the Bible to have a baseline understanding of what God’s Word is all about. Ultimately, we discussed the theme of the Bible last week as: “Jesus is the answer for the world today, above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.” Over the coming weeks, we are going to talk through our response to that theme and then we will begin a ten-week study of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. We are going to use the START book as our guide through these series’. 

THE POWER OF THE WORD 

Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and powerful…

– Inspiration – God breathed out His Word

– Inerrancy – every word is accurate and absolute

– Infallible – absolutely trustworthy, exempt from error 

Our desires should line up with the desires of God as it relates to His Word. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

1. Read what it says 

– 16a All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 

“None of us can ever be fully pleasing to God if we are not willing to be well taught in His Word”[1] – A.W. Tozer  

• Reading the Word of God is the only way to discover the Will of God. If you’re trying to discover God’s Will for your life without reading God’s Word for your life, you’re wasting your time. 

2. Learn what it means 

            – 16b …and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof for correction

• Doctrine – show us what is right
• Reproof – show us what is wrong
• Correction – show us how to fix it
• We do this through personal Bible study, church attendance, group studies, etc. 

“God did not write a book and send it by messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds.  He spoke a Book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years.”[2]  – A.W. Tozer  

– Psalm 119:105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

– Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. 

3. Put it into practice

16c …for instruction in righteousness17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

• Our lives, or more importantly, our success in life is directly dependent on how we put God’s Word into practice in our daily lives
• If we are not actually applying His Word to life, we not only will fail, we are living in sin 

James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. 

“It is one thing to know that the Scripture is the Sword of the Spirit, but it another thing to know how to use it effectively. God expects us to use the Sword, not merely hang it up as a decoration”[3] – Rev. Jerry Falwell 

I Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

[1] A.W. Tozer, Jesus, Our Man in Glory, pg. 104

[2] A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, Aneko Press, June 2015.

[3] Rev. Jerry Falwell, The Start Book, Thomas Road Baptist Church, pg. 33.