Spiritual Sword
Spiritual Sword
Introduction:
1. 1600 years ~ 40 men
2. From various walks of life - kings, prisoners, fishermen, tax collectors, doctor, cupbearer, general, shepherd, tent maker.
3. Penned while these men were in bonds, in the wilderness, in a dungeon, in a palace, in exile, in the midst of hostile conditions.
4. These men wrote while they were at the pinnacle of their faith and others wrote in the grips of deep sorrow and despair.
5. Never did these men attempt to justify their sins or the sins of those whom they wrote about.
6. They showed a deep love for God's law and dealt honestly with man's need for it.
7. Some of our most beloved Bible heroes were guilty of drunkenness, lying, adultery, murder, and public denial of the Lord.
8. This book answers some of man's most eternal questions and reveals the secrets of the Universe.
9. We can find the answers to rearing children, healing broken homes, fixing failing marriages, ending political unrest, restoring respect for authority, and curing man's sin problems.
10. And yet within these never a contradiction has been found.
11. The Bible is the greatest book ever written.
I. What the Bible says about itself is Important.
Psalm 119 teaches us man things about the Bible
It is a cleansing agent - Psa 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
A sin blocker - Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
A joy giver - Psa 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
A soul strengthener - Psa 119:25 DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
A basis for truth - Psa 119:42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
A foundation for hope - Psa 119:74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.
A source of comfort - Psa 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
A settled standard - Psa 119:84 How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
A light giver - Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
A life sustainer - Psa 119:116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
A step orderer - Psa 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
A source of deliverance - Psa 119:170 Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.
The Bible is profitable for every good work and makes us perfect.
The Bible contains all we need for life and godliness
Yet all these ideas are covered under Hebrew 4:12
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
II. Context of Hebrews 4:12
The message of Hebrews is similar to that of Galatians
The Law of Christ and the system of faith authorized by Christ is now in effect.
This new law prevented anyone from being able to follow any older or previous law.
The law of Moses was no longer binding and yet many were trying to mix Christianity with Judaism.
What is pointed out in the context is that Christianity is better.
Christ is the superior lawgiver
Christ provides a greater rest than did Joshua
Christ served as a greater high priest than any O.T. priest
Christ provided a better covenant than that was found at Mt. Sinai.
Hebrews 4 discusses the generations of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness.
This generation of Israel despite God's rescue hardened their hearts against God.
They forgot His ways
God was angered at their actions
Their unbelief resulted in their missed opportunity to inhabit the Promised Land.
We are warned not to fall into their own predicament as we sojourn in our own world today.
Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Because of the dangers we face in this world trying to turn us away from God; that same God has provided us with a great blessing aiding us in our continued obedience to Him.
That Blessing is the Spiritual Sword
III. Characteristics of the Spiritual Sword
Quick - a description of activity;
The Bible is alive and active not a dead letter.
Life is found in its pages
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Man is quickened; made active by the word of God.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
This same word will sustain our life regardless of any ridicule or abuse we may suffer
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
In the final days we will be judged by these words
Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Powerful - God spoke and it was
8 times in Genesis 1, God said and a powerful result occurred.
Light was born, waters divided, trees garnished the earth, fish filled the sea and man became a living soul.
God placed this same power in his Son
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Thus power is located in his word by the revelation of the Holy Spirit reminding the apostles what to write
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
This same power that creates the world convicts the heart of man.
This same power that produced man from the dust of the ground pricks the heart of the wicked causing them to obey.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Piercing - those who opposed God will be defeated
Holy Spirit does not have to direct affect man since we have the Word to pierce our hearts.
This word converts and sustains by means of the inherent power given to it by God.
IV. Obligations to the Sword
This sword is not ours but God's.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Because God entrusts us with it then we must use it for the purpose it was intended by God.
We are the faithful stewards of the Word of God.
1Co 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Our obligation then is to use it correctly; meaning study, defending, and battling with it.
Study with it
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Only one generation away from apostasy and the seed of that apostasy is ignorance of God's Word.
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Defend with it
It is an absolute standard for all men.
Any man who rejects this absolute standard does so at his own peril.
Usually this rejection comes because he does not understand God's will or does not care what God has to say.
We then have an obligation to expose this lackadaisical attitude
Gal 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Battle with it
It is the only weapon we have against Satan and the only weapon we need.
As Psalm 119 taught us the Word of God provides all we need
Yet there will be those who are cursed by God because they keep back His sword from blood
Jer 48:10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
What will you do with the Spiritual Sword today?
Will you allow it to give you life or cut you to pieces?
Heb 4:12-13 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Notice v. 13 - You cannot hide from God
Obey his Word and you will be saved.
Posted in: Classic Sermon Outlines, Sermon Outlines, Spirituality