If I was to ask you the question, what type of Christian are you with the choices of a world formed Christian, self-formed Christian or God formed Christian! What would be your choice? IF you chose God formed then you are on the right track. However, each of us need to understand something when it comes to being a God formed Christian as there needs to be an origin of choice whereby when we choose to seek and serve God, we need to be a people of the word. You cannot worship God in the flesh, but only in Spirit. We cannot be a people of God without being a People of the Word. The words my friends are not just for believers, but for all walks of life! I hope and pray Gods word pierces your heart today in better understanding and learn to apply the true meaning of being people of the word.
The word of God, in scripture and preaching, is a living word, enlivened among us by the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the main reasons why Christians read Bibles, study the scriptures, and listen to sermons is that we expect thereby to hear God speak to us. In miraculous ways, the ancient text comes alive and speaks. Christians are word-formed people.
When the word of God is ministered, preached or portrayed, always remember its not the person doing the work or outburst; it’s a divine derived testimony. No minister or speaker of the word of God does so with self-induced ideas. When the word of God is ministered, it is strictly empowered by the Holy Spirit, meaning it’s from God, to be made understandable to a people who has ears, hearts and minds to listen and apply God’s word. Now if one would say I am deaf, does that disqualify me from hearing God’s words? Short answer is no because just as I became deaf, God told me, you don’t have to hear me to hear me, just listen! When Helen Keller being born deaf and blind was first told about God, her response in sign and braille state, I always knew Him but didn’t know His name!
To further elaborate, we find in the book of Nehemiah chapter 8, a most compelling event happened where up to this point, the people of Judah, rebuilt the Jerusalem Temple and the city walls. The people where excited knowing they have arrived home while rebuilding their home city from destruction, however if you remember, they have all but forgot God and His words! They then ask themselves, How do we now live? On what basis will our community conduct itself? Is there any guidance or must we make up our own as we go? In other words, being self-formed. So during the rebuilding of the temple, a miraculous event occurred. A scroll was found amongst the rubble. It was then declared to be written text of the Torah, which we know as the first five books of the bible. And so let me read you the scripture from Nehemiah of what happened next. And all the people gathered as one person at the public square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 Then Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it before the public square which was in front of the Water Gate, from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
Ezra read God’s Holy words to the people that was lost to them. They asked for help and guidance and what did God deliver to them? His words of life! You see, God desired His people to be a people of His words, words of truth, life and everlasting love. This is most definitely something the world cannot compare to. Then Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” with the raising of their hands; then they kneeled down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Side note, Amen word means “So be it!” We find a joyful and wonderful thing happening here! God declares His words are vital to our faith, our living and all truth. We find the people where weeping, crying and wailing as they heard the words of God, yet Ezra, the scribe and Levites told the people do not mourn or weep because this is holy to the Lord your God. Why did they weep? They grieved in their hearts for the sins they committed against their living God, our savior and great redeemer. It’s a great and wonderful thing happening here to where God’s word not only revived the people, but restored all faith, all destructive presence in their very lives. Its amazing how the words of God could do so much yet we take it for granted. I am reminded when scripture tell us “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away!”
But, like the people of Judah, we too seem to lose focus on God’s word that is now more readily available than any time in history! I often wonder why God’s word is so dangerous and so reviving at the same time. If you have a bible in certain nations, you will be persecuted. If you pray to the God of creation, you will be persecuted. If you even mention the name of God, you will be persecuted. The common world says God is a threat. The modern man says God is not relevant. The egotistical man says I don’t need God everyday. The Prideful man says I know everything I need to know. Why all of this destructive behavior to a world that needs God more now than ever. Short answer. The truth is a threat to the sinful way of living. People wanted a God to suit their fancy—not necessarily hear the truth. People only need God when there is no where else to do. Does any of this sound familiar? Just a few examples!
However, in the Gospel of Luke chapter 4, Jesus was recently baptized and now has started His ministry to the world. Starting at verse 14 it tells us Jesus was in the Spirit and the news about Him spread throughout and He began teaching and preaching in the people’s synagogues and was praised by all! God is saying at this point, my love for you that has been foretold and exercised many times before, is being completed by the fulfillment of the prophecy I declared says the lord in bringing to you my one and only son. To take upon Himself the sins of the world; yours and mine! Yet, even after several thousand years of prophecies, the people still wasn’t willing to accept God and His decision for several reason. Let us start at verse 16. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Wow! Every eye was fixed on Jesus and every heart was pricked with God’s message of truth. And then, God was not done. As Jesus was sitting, Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
God’s words are life! God’s words are Justice. God’s words are everything! When Jesus proclaimed the scriptures are fulfilled, this is where it all began for each of us to be eternally saved by way of Gods only son, but only for those who accept Him and Lord and Master of their lives. So let me ask you this morning. Why do we reject God’s words by neglecting it? Why are we so satisfied with mediocrity over something that is everlasting? Why do we not take time in reading, studying and applying God’s word to our lives when its proven time and time again to be an everlasting promise through God Himself to be His words of life! We can take time to become healthy by eating and exercising correctly, having checkups at the doctors, taking our medicine on time, etc… but when it comes to Gods word, we become null, void and absent. Of all the places I find John 1 which tells us so much about this very subject. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.
Inclosing I will leave you with this. Sian Elvin wrote and article in the UK Metro news where a tourist named Ivan was swimming in the ocean at Myti Beach in Greece when unexpectedly he was carried away by powerful currents. Friends alerted the authorities and they done a search for hours but then ultimately declared him to be lost at sea. 18 hours later, rescuers found Ivan and pulled him out of the ocean, cold and shaken but most certainly alive, all because shortly after being swept away from ocean waters, he found an unexpected floatation device—a socker sized childrens ball floating. Clinging to that ball, he never drowned and what is seriously unexpected, over 80 miles away, a mother of a young child recognized the distinct ball on the news as one her son had lost on the beach 10 days prior to the event. Rightfully, the people are calling the rescue of Ivan as a miracle.
This ball represents God’s word, and no matter what happens, Gods words will prevail and save us, especially in the most expected way. To be a people of God, we need to be a people of the word. This means every idle word that God has spoke, portrayed and lived, we are to adhere to it, listen to it, obey it, and live it. If we are a people of God, then we must be a people of His Holy Words. Amen.