Title: Faith in the Word
Contents
Text: Hebrews 4:2-13
Humans have visual, psychic, and spiritual eyes.
People want to see God, but since God is a Spirit, human eyes cannot see him. (John 4:24) Therefore, none of the creatures of this world have seen God (John 1:18).
But God has revealed Himself through all things, so this is called 1. Natural revelation.
Romans 1:19-20 says, “This is something that God can be known, because it is seen in them. From the foundation of the world his invisible things, even his eternal power and divinity, are clearly seen and understood in all things that have been made; therefore, they are without excuse.”
In this way, God has revealed Himself, but a foolish life is so faint that it is like seeing a shadow.
Besides natural revelation, God made Himself known through His Word.
2. In the revelation of the Word, there are words through angels and through people who are moved by the Spirit of God. In this way, God, who reveals himself through his Word, gave him a special name.
Exodus 3:15 says, “I am the Lord, and this is my everlasting name, and this is my sign that will be remembered from generation to generation.” Through the word of God, we know the name of God, and by the name we come to know God and see God. Therefore, to know God, his name is very important.
When we serve God, we serve the name, not the image.
God, who reveals himself through the revelation of the word, reveals himself again in a special way. In John 1:14, “the Word became flesh” and came to this world so that we could see the invisible God. This is called 3. Special Revelation.
Karl Barth
The Bible is the Word that came in the form of text,
A sermon is the Word that came in language,
The Word explains that Jesus came in the flesh.
God's Word must become our faith for history to appear.
That history is revealed as a history of prayer, a history of grace, a history of change, a history of healing, a history of revival and growth, and a history of blessing and prosperity.
When we say, “The Word became faith,” the Word belongs to God, and faith belongs to man. The word of God is power, life, and blessing.
But unless we are in harmony with faith, the Word is of no use and does not work.
Just as the gift of the Holy Spirit is beneficial to the saints (1 Corinthians 12:7), it is beneficial to the saints only when the word is believed (Hebrews 4:2).
In order for the word to be believed
① You must obey.
“Those who are not obedient cannot enter into the rest.” (Verse 6)
Obedience here is seen in Luke 5:3-7. Jesus came to Peter, who had toiled all night and had nothing to gain, testified to him and said, “Go out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. When he said, “… by the word I will let down the nets.” We see ‘obedience’ in Peter who did.
② It is a humble heart.
“When you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (verse 7).
I hope that your hard heart will be broken and you will have a gentle and humble heart. Pharaoh of Egypt did not open his heart to the words of Moses, the servant of God, and his heart was hardened and he suffered 10 plagues, and the Egyptian chariots and horsemen who were chasing after Israel suffered even the calamity of being buried in the Red Sea.
Dear members of Shepherd Church,
Let us open the door of our hearts and come to God in obedience and humility. There is a history of living when the Word becomes faith, and there is a history of blessing and victory.
This week too, we pray that our spiritual eyes will be opened to see God, and we will walk with God and lead a victorious life.
- Amen -