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Hebrews 4:12-13 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Good morning.
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  If you want to go ahead and turn to Hebrews chapter 4.
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  Sharper than any two-edged sword.
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  Piercing to the division of soul and of spirit.
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  Of joints and of marrow.
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  And discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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  And no creature is hidden from his sight.
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  But all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
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  Father, thank you for this word from you.
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  By your spirit, enlighten our eyes to understand.
• 1:11
  In Jesus' name.
• 1:14
  I consider it a great privilege to be a part of a congregation that highly values the Bible.
• 1:21
  When you look through the pages of scripture, you see how often the word of God is extolled.
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  Is lifted up.
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  Is shown to be an important part of what God does.
• 1:40
  And he has given it, his word, a major role in the preservation of the church and of our faith.
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  And so it seems obvious that we would, that we who claim to follow Christ, love God, would place the same value on the word that he does.
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  But this is not true of every church.
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  Many, even those with a rich gospel heritage, have lost that perspective.
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  Those folks who study church trends and life have outlined what they call the four stages of church decline.
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  In the first stage, the gospel is central.
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  That's the good church.
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  In that stage, the Bible has a central role in defining the issues of life.
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  The Bible sets the agenda for what the leadership, what the congregation does.
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  In the second stage, the gospel is assumed.
• 3:05
  When the gospel is assumed, the Bible takes on a secondary role.
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  Its message, its emphases, its agenda are replaced with those of the culture, the latest trends, current events.
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  And then by the third stage, the gospel is lost and the Bible has very little place at all.
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  And in the fourth stage, the church is withered into complete spiritual indifference.
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  Now, most of what many of us have experienced or observed would probably be considered the first or second stage.
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  At least, that's my experience.
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  But I do not believe that the downtrend is inevitable.
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  Churches do persevere.
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  Churches do persevere.
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  Revivals do happen.
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  And that's because the Lord is present.
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  And he's left his spirit in the church to
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  give it strength, to lead and guide it,
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  to help it guard against the drifting from the gospel.
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  God has given us the privilege of participating in that preserving work of his spirit.
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  When we belong or participate in a church that highly values the word of God.
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  God wants you to hear his spirit.
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  This morning, I believe God wants you and me to hear his voice through his word.
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  And to respond with a faith and obedience that are appropriate.
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  And a renewed determination to make and keep his word central in our hearts.
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  God wants you to appreciate the role he has given to the word in the church.
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  And in appreciating that, then benefiting from it.
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  Not only in salvation, but also in transformation.
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  And effectiveness.
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  Now, Hebrews chapter 4, verses 12 and 13.
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  This is a passage that highlights the importance of God's word.
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  It's a reminder of the role that God has given to his word in strengthening and preserving faith.
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  By bringing about repentance and growth.
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  It's a passage that calls you to do everything you can do to keep the word central in your life.
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  To trust it.
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  And to respond appropriately.
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  So this morning, I'd like to look at three aspects of the word of God given here in the text.
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  That God says are reasons why you should keep the word of God central in your life.
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  So first, let's look at verse 12 again.
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  The first part.
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  For the word of God is alive.
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  Or living.
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  Word of God is living.
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  Alive.
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  Now, the context is very important to understanding the reason this passage occurs here.
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  So, I will come back to it.
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  But to begin with, I'd like to look closely at the main point.
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  And that is that God wants you to value his word because it is alive.
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  God's word is living.
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  In a grammatical sense, the word alive here is the emphasis of this verse.
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  It occurs first.
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  So, if you looked into the Greek, you would see living for the word of God.
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  In other words, the word of God is living.
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  But it begins with living.
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  It's emphatic.
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  This is the point that the author wants to draw our attention to.
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  The idea of the word of God being alive.
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  And simply speaking, this is the main reason why we should value the word of God.
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  Because it is a living word.
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  The other descriptors in the text really flow out of this.
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  The idea that the word of God is alive might seem a bit strange to us.
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  But it makes sense when you see it in light of whose word it is.
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  28 times in the ESV, the phrase, the living God occurs.
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  Three of those times are in the book of Hebrews.
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  In a basic sense, the word living when attached to God simply refers to the fact that unlike the idols of the nations,
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  the idols that surrounded the Israelites and so on,
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  unlike those gods, our God is alive.
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  The psalmists and even the prophets mock the nations,
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  saying those idols have eyes, but they can't see.
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  They have ears, but they can't hear.
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  They have mouths, but they neither speak nor breathe.
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  This contrast is true, but I think there's something more to the phrase,
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  the living God.
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  Because when you understand God in all of his attributes and who he really is,
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  you realize that God is life itself.
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  This life, God's life, is not derived as we understand life,
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  derived from anything outside of himself.
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  He's not dependent upon breath to live.
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  He's not dependent upon electrochemical processes in your nervous system in order to think like we are.
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  And he's not dependent upon calorie intake for energy.
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  God's life itself.
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  Life is his nature.
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  I think understanding this aids our understanding of what is being communicated here about the word of God.
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  God's good news to us is a message about life.
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  But it's more than that.
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  The gospel itself is a living message.
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  The word of God is living.
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  The proclamation of the word is life.
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  And when it is proclaimed faithfully, it imparts life.
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  In the same way, I believe this is how we should understand and view the written word, the Bible.
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  It is a living document.
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  Early on in my Christian experience, I was given some advice about how to study the Bible.
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  And it was found in this old, small book of Falling Apart, probably written 100 or 200 years ago.
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  I don't even know who the author was.
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  But I looked through it and it said there's two ways to study the Bible.
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  And both are important.
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  First, you should study the Bible just like any other book.
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  There are common elements that need to be understood.
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  There's genre and grammar and structure and historical context and idiomatic language that you need to try to understand.
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  In this way, the Bible is just like any other book.
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  And we should be diligent to seek to understand what is being communicated.
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  But second, it advised, you should study the Bible unlike any other book.
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  You see, the Bible is not just a collection of ancient stories and conventional wisdom.
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  It's not simply a collection of practical principles.
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  And it's certainly not like a magic book full of formulas to follow or pronounce in order to gain health and wealth and success in life.
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  The Bible is God's very word spoken and recorded in the context of human experience.
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  I think it's very interesting.
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  As we've been going through Hebrews, you see that the author of Hebrews quotes an Old Testament passage back in chapter 3 in verse 7.
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  But when you look there, what does he say?
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  He says, therefore, as the Holy Spirit says...
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  Oh, he made a mistake.
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  Didn't the Holy Spirit say that?
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  Past tense?
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  Past tense?
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  It's not what it says.
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  And the passage begins today if you hear his voice.
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  And what he's doing is taking that word written so many years before and saying it applies to you, to me now.
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  Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts.
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  Well, how can he do that?
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  Is he just speaking metaphorically?
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  Or...
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  I don't think so.
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  He's indicating that God was presently, at the time he wrote this,
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  giving the very same warning to the readers of his book.
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  God speaks to us in his word.
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  You can expect God to speak to you in his word.
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  And his word is life.
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  It's your food.
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  It's your drink.
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  It's your energy.
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  It's your strength.
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  It's your wisdom.
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  It's your guidance.
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  It's your comfort.
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  It's your comfort.
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  This is the very thing God wants you to make every effort to understand and depend upon.
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  And in order to do this, you must value it.
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  But the passage continues, doesn't it?
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  Not only is it alive, but it effectively accomplishes what God intends.
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  That's the second aspect we see.
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  God wants you to value his word because it is effective.
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  Look at verse 12 again.
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  For the word of God is alive, living, and effective.
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  Now, some versions have the word active or powerful instead of effective.
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  But really, the word effective carries the idea best.
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  By effective, it means that it accomplishes something.
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  It's effective in what it is designed to do.
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  Sure, it's powerful.
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  But the point is that it's powerful to accomplish what it's sent to do or what it's given for.
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  I think the best argument for that is in the words of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 55 and verses 10 and 11.
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  He records,
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  And shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
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  That's how God views his word.
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  That effectiveness is observed in creation.
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  Isn't it amazing that God just said, let there be light and there was light?
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  He just spoke and it happened.
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  It did just what he said.
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  In Ezekiel 37, God had the prophet speak his word over the bones that typified Israel.
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  And when he did that, those bones came back to life.
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  And it's observed also in Lazarus' resurrection.
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  When Jesus said, come forth.
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  And what happened?
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  He came forth.
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  And even in the story that we heard this morning for you children.
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  All Jesus had to do was say, peace, be still.
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  And it happened.
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  That's the effectiveness of God's word.
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  It's powerful and effectively accomplishes his will.
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  Now, the word of God has many aspects to this effectiveness.
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  There are several metaphors in the Bible that highlight these.
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  And I'll list just a few.
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  And some are the ones that I found.
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  Psalm 119, 105.
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  The word of God is a lamp that gives light.
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  The light of his instruction and direction.
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  In Jeremiah 23 and verse 29, God's word is called a fire that consumes and a hammer that shatters.
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  Referring to its capacity to destroy false representations of God and his truth.
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  According to James, the word of God is a mirror that reflects the real person.
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  And the apostle Peter says that the word of God is a seed that births new life and milk that nourishes the people of God.
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  But in this passage in Hebrews, the word of God is compared to a sharp double-edged sword that pierces and separates and discerns.
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  Look again at verse 12.
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  For the word of God is living and active.
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  Sharper than any two-edged sword.
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  Piercing to the division of soul and spirit of joints and marrow.
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  And discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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  That is how in this chapter the word of God is described.
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  And I think we would be right to ask why a sword is used in this context.
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  It's understandable in Ephesians 6, 17 where the word of God is called the sword of the spirit.
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  And is part of the armor of the Christian in the fight for the saints in the war against those powers of darkness that seek to undermine our faith.
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  And it's understandable in the book of Revelation where the sharp two-edged sword proceeds from the mouth of Jesus himself to slay those who reject his kingdom.
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  Chapter 19.
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  But here in Hebrews, the idea seems a bit different.
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  It's more like a fisherman's knife.
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  Although the word is sword, but it's a small sword.
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  Instead of an instrument of war.
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  The imagery of the division of soul and spirit and joint and marrow reflect this.
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  Maybe you can think of it as being filleted.
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  The last part of verse 12 makes this point.
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  And I think that's what the image leads up to when it says,
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  Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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  It's one of the chief characteristics of the word of God to then expose us.
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  To expose our motives.
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  We sang about the fear we have of being exposed.
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  But that's a good thing.
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  According to the scriptures.
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  Sin is very deceitful.
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  And according to the Bible, we can't even always know our own hearts.
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  1 Corinthians chapter 4.
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  But the message of the gospel exposes us.
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  It distinguishes between religious practice and faith.
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  It exposes the difference between the desire to be recognized and self-sacrificing charity.
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  It demonstrates the great contrast between lust and love.
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  And it reveals the difference between works that are produced through a need to be acceptance and those that are generated through gratitude and grace.
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  God knows us.
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  God knows us very well.
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  And he's given his word to help us.
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  You see, the deceitfulness of sin is just that.
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  It's deceitful.
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  That means we can't always see it.
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  It's powerful.
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  It wants to lead us astray.
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  Cause us to drift.
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  Urge us to harden our hearts.
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  It says, God really can't be trusted.
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  You know a lot about this.
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  Anyway.
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  It whispers,
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  Your happiness is more important than the life that's inside.
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  It attempts to minimize the effects of small sins.
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  Of white lies.
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  Neglect of prayer and worship.
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  It attempts to make greed and self-preservation appear as responsibility.
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  But the word of God exposes all of this.
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  This role of the Bible, of the word of God, fits the context of Hebrews.
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  And it's reinforced by the following verse.
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  Verse 13.
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  God's word is alive.
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  It's effective.
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  And thus, it requires a response from us.
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  And that's the next aspect of the word of God that we want to look at in this passage.
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  God wants you to value his word.
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  Yes, because it is alive and effective.
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  But also because valuing his word is what you need to do in order to respond appropriately.
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  Look at verse 13 again.
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  Now, in this verse, there is a switch from the sword metaphor to a focus on God's omniscience and his eyes that are able to see everything.
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  But the point is the same.
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  It's just a reinforcement of what he said previously.
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  Nothing is hidden from God.
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  Your innermost thoughts, nothing.
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  We are all exposed from him.
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  We can't hide anything from him.
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  Your thoughts, your motives, nothing.
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  You are completely vulnerable and exposed before him.
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  And God wants to remind you of this so that you can respond in faith.
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  I mentioned earlier that the context is important for understanding the reason why these verses are here at this point in the book of Hebrews.
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  And until now, the author has been emphasizing the superiority of Christ over angels and over Moses.
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  But his intent in highlighting these things is clearly and predominantly to warn the readers against replacing Jesus with anything.
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  In chapter 2, he warns against drifting away.
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  Verse 1.
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  In chapter 3, he warns against falling away from the living God.
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  In verse 12.
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  Then again, in the verse before today's text, in verse 11, we see another warning against the same disobedience that brought judgment on the Israelites in the wilderness.
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  Each of these warnings is in the context of the word of God.
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  The warning against drifting away refers to what we have heard.
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  Be careful that we don't drift away from what we have heard.
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  The message of the gospel.
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  God's word.
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  In verse 12 of chapter 3, the falling away is described as an evil, unbelieving heart.
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  Unbelieving what?
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  Unbelieving of the word of God.
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  Of the promises that God made to them.
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  To the Israelites.
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  And the disobedience mentioned in verse 11 of chapter 4 is the response of those same Israelites to the promise of rest.
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  Which in verse 6 is called the good news or the gospel.
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  So in every case here we have a caution, a warning about leaving, about not trusting God's word.
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  So the focus of the word of God or on the word of God in verses 11 or 12 and 13 aligns with this emphasis.
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  But it also directly relates to the exhortation in verse 11.
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  You see, in view of the Israelites' failure to receive God's promised rest,
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  we, on the other hand, are encouraged to strive to enter that rest.
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  Well, what does that mean?
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  What does it mean to strive to enter rest?
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  That sounds like an oxymoron to me.
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  What does it mean?
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  But when we consider that this rest there is a type of our eternal rest, the promise of the gospel.
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  And when we consider the context of what is being warned against here,
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  then striving to enter should be then understood as simply being diligent to hear and to trust the word of God.
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  That's what he's calling us to do.
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  Not neglect it, but earnestly seek to hear it,
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  to understand it,
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  and to believe it.
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  I think it's likely that in the short period of our time together this morning in the worship
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  and even in reading these few passages in the Bible,
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  that the Spirit of God has used the word of God to draw your attention to some area of lack or of trust
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  or some area of fear or some desire that you know that will not trust you
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  or draw you close to the Lord.
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  And I think he's doing that because he loves you.
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  And he wants you to turn to him and expect in faith
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  that he can help,
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  that he can change you and me.
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  If that isn't happening,
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  we're really in big trouble.
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  But the encouragement is that he does it so that we would respond appropriately.
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  At the end of verse 13,
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  there is this phrase,
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  to whom we must give account.
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  And if you take it at face value,
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  it appears to be a sense in which,
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  you know,
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  listen to what I'm saying
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  because one day you're going to be held accountable for everything that you've heard
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  and all the things that God has called you to
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  and whether you responded right or not.
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  And it's possible that that is what is intended.
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  But other versions have something a little more vague.
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  With whom we have to do instead of to whom we must give an account.
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  And the lack of agreement on the translation here
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  is simply because this is one of those idiomatic phrases
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  that isn't easy to be translated into English.
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  If you looked at a literal translation of this,
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  you would read,
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  to whom,
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  for us,
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  the word.
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  If that sounds odd to you,
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  you're in good company.
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  I think it should sound odd to all of us.
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  What in the world does that mean?
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  To whom,
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  to us,
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  the word.
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  Well,
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  there is some similarity here
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  with the word being used
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  in other texts in the Bible
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  with accountability,
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  with the concept of accounting.
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  But it's normally used in a different sense
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  and with a different verb.
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  So really,
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  it's just hard to say
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  that to whom we must give an account
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  is what he's trying to communicate.
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  Of course,
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  those people who have studied this
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  are much smarter than I am
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  and maybe they
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  see things that I don't.
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  But other people
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  aren't convinced either.
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  It's possible
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  that what is presented here
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  is a play on words
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  that reaches back
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  to the beginning of the text.
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  The word,
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  this passage ends with that.
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  Remember I said it says
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  to whom,
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  to us,
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  the word.
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  And it's possible
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  that that is
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  a play on words
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  that reaches back
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  to the beginning
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  of verse 12
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  where
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  living is the word.
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  That
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  there is some sense
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  in which
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  we're to see
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  a relationship
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  between
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  the living word
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  of God
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  and for us
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  the word.
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  Those that
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  see that
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  in the passage
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  consider this
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  a response.
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  One scholar
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  put it this way.
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  He said,
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  now the ball
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  is in our court,
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  so to speak.
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  In other words,
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  God is saying
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  all this about his word
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  and now the ball
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  is in our court.
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  Well,
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  however you look at this,
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  the idea of a response
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  is
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  inevitable.
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  And I think that
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  last understanding
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  would agree
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  with the rest of the book
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  so far.
• 32:10
  It's essential
• 32:11
  that we hear
• 32:12
  and respond
• 32:13
  appropriately
• 32:14
  with trust
• 32:16
  in the word
• 32:17
  of God.
• 32:19
  How have you
• 32:20
  responded
• 32:21
  to the gospel?
• 32:23
  How have you
• 32:24
  responded today
• 32:25
  when that
• 32:27
  word
• 32:28
  pricked
• 32:30
  your heart,
• 32:32
  filleted
• 32:33
  your heart?
• 32:34
  How did you
• 32:35
  respond?
• 32:37
  Did you
• 32:37
  respond like
• 32:38
  a
• 32:39
  sacrificial
• 32:41
  animal
• 32:42
  waiting to be
• 32:42
  cut
• 32:44
  by throwing
• 32:45
  your head
• 32:45
  back
• 32:45
  and saying,
• 32:46
  yes,
• 32:46
  God,
• 32:46
  that's me.
• 32:49
  Help.
• 32:51
  That's
• 32:52
  really what
• 32:52
  the word
• 32:53
  refers to
• 32:53
  there
• 32:54
  when it
• 32:54
  says
• 32:54
  we're
• 32:55
  exposed.
• 32:56
  It's
• 32:57
  the same
• 32:57
  word
• 32:58
  that's used
• 32:58
  in these
• 32:59
  sacrificial
• 32:59
  rites
• 33:00
  where the
• 33:01
  sacrifice
• 33:02
  is laid
• 33:03
  open,
• 33:04
  ready to
• 33:04
  be
• 33:04
  cut.
• 33:07
  Thankfully,
• 33:08
  God won't
• 33:08
  do that
• 33:09
  to those
• 33:11
  that
• 33:12
  humble
• 33:13
  themselves
• 33:13
  in that
• 33:14
  way.
• 33:15
  I think
• 33:15
  Psalm 139,
• 33:17
  in Psalm
• 33:18
  139,
• 33:18
  David
• 33:19
  represents
• 33:21
  this idea
• 33:22
  very well.
• 33:25
  He
• 33:25
  portrays
• 33:26
  God's
• 33:27
  intimate
• 33:28
  awareness
• 33:28
  of him
• 33:29
  in the
• 33:29
  first
• 33:30
  six
• 33:31
  verses.
• 33:32
  And there
• 33:33
  he says,
• 33:34
  O Lord,
• 33:35
  you have
• 33:35
  searched
• 33:36
  me and
• 33:37
  known
• 33:37
  me.
• 33:38
  You
• 33:39
  know when
• 33:39
  I sit
• 33:39
  down and
• 33:40
  when I
• 33:40
  rise up.
• 33:42
  You
• 33:42
  discern
• 33:42
  my
• 33:43
  thoughts
• 33:43
  from afar.
• 33:45
  You
• 33:45
  search
• 33:46
  out my
• 33:46
  path and
• 33:47
  my lying
• 33:47
  down and
• 33:48
  are acquainted
• 33:48
  with all
• 33:49
  my ways.
• 33:50
  Even
• 33:50
  before a
• 33:51
  word is
• 33:52
  on my
• 33:52
  tongue,
• 33:52
  behold,
• 33:53
  O Lord,
• 33:54
  you know
• 33:54
  it altogether.
• 33:56
  You
• 33:57
  hem
• 33:57
  me in
• 33:57
  behind
• 33:58
  and before.
• 33:59
  You
• 34:00
  lay
• 34:00
  your
• 34:01
  hand
• 34:01
  upon
• 34:02
  me.
• 34:04
  Such
• 34:04
  knowledge
• 34:04
  is too
• 34:05
  wonderful
• 34:05
  for me.
• 34:06
  It is
• 34:06
  high.
• 34:07
  I
• 34:07
  cannot
• 34:08
  attain
• 34:09
  it.
• 34:10
  And in
• 34:13
  light of
• 34:13
  this
• 34:13
  knowledge,
• 34:15
  he
• 34:16
  responds
• 34:16
  in the
• 34:18
  last two
• 34:18
  verses
• 34:19
  with this
• 34:20
  word.
• 34:21
  Search
• 34:21
  me,
• 34:22
  O God,
• 34:23
  and know
• 34:24
  my heart.
• 34:25
  Try
• 34:26
  me and
• 34:27
  know
• 34:28
  my thoughts
• 34:29
  and see
• 34:30
  if there
• 34:31
  be any
• 34:31
  grievous
• 34:32
  way in
• 34:32
  me and
• 34:33
  lead me
• 34:34
  in the
• 34:35
  way
• 34:35
  everlasting.
• 34:37
  God
• 34:37
  is
• 34:39
  not
• 34:40
  God
• 34:41
  what
• 34:42
  God
• 34:42
  wants
• 34:42
  from
• 34:43
  each
• 34:43
  of
• 34:43
  us
• 34:43
  today?
• 34:44
  To
• 34:45
  have
• 34:45
  that
• 34:45
  kind
• 34:45
  of
• 34:45
  responsiveness
• 34:46
  to
• 34:47
  his
• 34:47
  word?
• 34:48
  That
• 34:48
  kind
• 34:49
  of
• 34:49
  responsiveness
• 34:49
  to
• 34:50
  the
• 34:50
  word
• 34:50
  that
• 34:51
  exposes
• 34:51
  us?
• 34:54
  To
• 34:55
  those
• 34:55
  who
• 34:56
  ultimately
• 34:56
  reject
• 34:57
  God's
• 34:57
  word,
• 34:58
  it
• 34:58
  becomes
• 34:59
  a
• 34:59
  sort
• 34:59
  of
• 34:59
  judgment.
• 35:01
  But
• 35:01
  to
• 35:01
  those
• 35:02
  of
• 35:02
  us
• 35:02
  who
• 35:02
  believe,
• 35:04
  we
• 35:04
  have
• 35:05
  the
• 35:05
  assurance
• 35:05
  that
• 35:06
  God
• 35:06
  is
• 35:06
  at
• 35:06
  work
• 35:07
  to
• 35:07
  make
• 35:08
  us
• 35:08
  a
• 35:08
  vibrant,
• 35:10
  gospel-centered,
• 35:12
  Christ-exalting,
• 35:13
  spirit-sanctified
• 35:15
  church.
• 35:17
  And it's
• 35:18
  truly a
• 35:19
  privilege
• 35:19
  to see
• 35:21
  that
• 35:21
  happening.
• 35:24
  So
• 35:25
  in review,
• 35:27
  let me
• 35:27
  repeat
• 35:28
  what I've
• 35:29
  said
• 35:31
  are the
• 35:32
  points,
• 35:32
  the main
• 35:33
  points of
• 35:33
  this passage.
• 35:35
  God
• 35:37
  wants
• 35:37
  you,
• 35:38
  it's
• 35:39
  all about
• 35:39
  response.
• 35:40
  God
• 35:40
  wants
• 35:41
  you
• 35:41
  to
• 35:42
  respond
• 35:42
  appropriately
• 35:43
  to
• 35:43
  him
• 35:44
  in
• 35:44
  faith.
• 35:46
  God
• 35:46
  wants
• 35:46
  you
• 35:46
  to
• 35:46
  believe
• 35:47
  his
• 35:47
  word.
• 35:48
  He
• 35:48
  wants
• 35:49
  you
• 35:49
  to
• 35:49
  value
• 35:49
  his
• 35:51
  word
• 35:51
  because
• 35:51
  it
• 35:52
  is
• 35:52
  alive.
• 35:53
  He
• 35:53
  wants
• 35:53
  you
• 35:53
  to
• 35:53
  value
• 35:54
  his
• 35:54
  word
• 35:55
  because
• 35:56
  it
• 35:56
  is
• 35:56
  effective.
• 35:58
  And
• 35:58
  he
• 35:58
  wants
• 35:58
  you
• 35:58
  to
• 35:59
  value
• 35:59
  it
• 36:00
  because
• 36:01
  valuing
• 36:01
  the
• 36:02
  word
• 36:02
  of
• 36:02
  God
• 36:02
  is
• 36:02
  what
• 36:03
  you
• 36:03
  need
• 36:03
  to
• 36:03
  do
• 36:04
  in
• 36:04
  order
• 36:04
  to
• 36:05
  respond
• 36:06
  in
• 36:07
  faith.
• 36:10
  We
• 36:11
  might
• 36:12
  say,
• 36:13
  well,
• 36:13
  I
• 36:13
  believe
• 36:13
  in
• 36:14
  God,
• 36:14
  but
• 36:14
  there's
• 36:15
  some
• 36:15
  things
• 36:16
  that
• 36:16
  I
• 36:16
  just
• 36:17
  not
• 36:19
  sure
• 36:19
  of
• 36:19
  in
• 36:19
  the
• 36:20
  Bible.
• 36:22
  And
• 36:23
  we
• 36:23
  can
• 36:23
  listen
• 36:23
  to
• 36:24
  the
• 36:24
  culture
• 36:24
  around
• 36:25
  us.
• 36:27
  And
• 36:27
  we
• 36:27
  can
• 36:28
  hear
• 36:28
  what
• 36:28
  they're
• 36:29
  saying
• 36:29
  about
• 36:30
  different
• 36:30
  issues.
• 36:33
  And
• 36:33
  we
• 36:33
  have
• 36:33
  a
• 36:34
  choice
• 36:34
  when
• 36:35
  we
• 36:35
  see
• 36:36
  that
• 36:36
  comparison.
• 36:38
  Where
• 36:39
  do
• 36:40
  you
• 36:40
  put
• 36:40
  your
• 36:40
  trust
• 36:41
  first?
• 36:43
  No
• 36:43
  matter
• 36:44
  how
• 36:44
  well
• 36:44
  reasoned
• 36:45
  the
• 36:46
  arguments
• 36:46
  are
• 36:47
  about
• 36:50
  marriage,
• 36:51
  about
• 36:51
  life,
• 36:52
  about
• 36:52
  children,
• 36:53
  about
• 36:53
  sexuality,
• 36:55
  about
• 36:55
  human
• 36:57
  preference,
• 36:58
  about
• 36:58
  life.
• 36:59
  In
• 37:00
  the
• 37:00
  womb,
• 37:02
  where
• 37:02
  do
• 37:02
  you
• 37:03
  place
• 37:04
  your
• 37:04
  trust?
• 37:06
  To
• 37:06
  respond
• 37:07
  appropriately
• 37:07
  means to
• 37:08
  trust what
• 37:09
  God is
• 37:10
  saying to
• 37:10
  you now.
• 37:11
  Today,
• 37:12
  if you
• 37:12
  hear his
• 37:13
  voice,
• 37:13
  still
• 37:13
  applies.
• 37:15
  And
• 37:15
  the only
• 37:15
  right
• 37:16
  choice is
• 37:16
  to humble
• 37:17
  yourself
• 37:17
  before
• 37:18
  God's
• 37:18
  exposing
• 37:19
  sword.
• 37:21
  Trust
• 37:21
  in
• 37:22
  Christ's
• 37:22
  work on
• 37:23
  your
• 37:23
  behalf.
• 37:24
  Trust
• 37:24
  in
• 37:25
  his
• 37:25
  ongoing
• 37:25
  work
• 37:26
  to
• 37:26
  conform
• 37:26
  you
• 37:27
  into
• 37:27
  his
• 37:27
  image.
• 37:28
  and
• 37:29
  trust
• 37:29
  in
• 37:30
  his
• 37:30
  word
• 37:30
  to
• 37:31
  be
• 37:31
  effective
• 37:32
  in
• 37:33
  your
• 37:33
  life.