Sermon: Left On Read
Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13
ICE BREAKER: Who in your friend group is the WORST at texting everyone Back?
REVIEW:
This week, we talked about the frustration of being "left on read" when you are texting someone. This common cultural happening is when you KNOW someone read the message you sent them, but they did not send you anything back!
We acknowledged that NO ONE gets "left on read" more than God!
To help us understand the power of the scriptures, we spent our time in 2 verses in Hebrews chapter 4. The author writes:
"12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13 No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account."
The most common way to refer to the scriptures is to call it "THE BIBLE." However, we learned that the word Bible just means, "The book." While there is nothing wrong with the term "Bible," it doesn't quite explain the depth and richness that scripture offers our life. A better term is the "Word of God."
We learned that THE WORD is one powerful entity that has been revealed to us in two different ways! Jesus, the Living Word of God - and Scripture the inspired Written Word of God!
Hebrews tells us this Word is Living, Active, and Effective! It is alive and powerful in our world thousands of years after it was written.
It is tempting to see the scriptures as outdated or culturally irrelevant, but this passage in Hebrews warns us against that!
The verse goes on to say that it is sharp like a Surgeon's scalpel! The living Word is able to cut right to the heart of us when we come near it. It exposes the error of our ways and corrects us when we stray from God's revealed design for our life.
Many people steer clear of scripture because of the conviction it can bring. Others have degraded its teachings, no longer seeing them as relevant.
For followers of Jesus, we must allow Jesus, the Great Physician, to do His work in our lives and his primary instrument is the Written Word! That is his scalpel that gets all the way to our hearts intentions!
Verse 13 highlights why it is so critical to allow the Word to bring healing in our life, even if it hurts. It reminds us that we must all give "AN ACCOUNT" to Jesus at the end of our lives. Nothing is hidden and everything will be exposed after this life! The time to come to the Word and allow it to change us is NOW!
APPLY:
Statistics show that less than 20% of believers are consistently reading The Word. Which means the bigger problem isn't being "left ON Read" - the bigger problem is being "left UNREAD!"
How did this teaching out of Hebrews change the way you view Scripture?
How have you seen The Word come alive in your life before?
What about the "Scalpel" of scripture makes you nervous?
What is ONE WAY you will commit to spending time in The Word this week?
PRAY:
Ask God to show you something new in scripture this week. Affirm your belief that Jesus is the Great Physician and that you trust him with your life.
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