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The Bible does not contain the Word of God; the Bible is the Word of God. It is the supreme book for it so far excels all other books ever written. It is supreme, because it has the answer to the questions of life and death. It is the oldest book; its influence upon nations and men is beyond calculation. It is the best seller of all time. It was written largely by uneducated men and yet it is considered a literary masterpiece.
It has been the most hated of all books. Time and again kings and governments have sought to abolish it and burn it. Yet God has preserved it for us today and it can be found in the majority of homes.
It is in fact the Word of God. How meaningful is the Bible, or how important is the Word of God to us? Is it really significant to you?
You say:- If it wasn’t we would not be here and doing what we are!
Well there is no other book makes claims like the Bible.
Peter writes, "Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever." [1 Peter 1:23] “word of the Lord endureth for ever” [1 Peter 1:25]
These words bring before us many thoughts, but I want to suggest four.
[1] How endurable it is.
Peter calls it "incorruptible seed" and a word which "liveth and abideth for ever." When we think of How Temporary are so many things in our lives. The influence of our lives. The influence of a friendship. [Ivy Precious] How often have we enjoyed the friendship of a Christian friend or relative. How they have taught us the things of God through His Spirit. We have matured through their friendship, and then the circumstances of life have separated us from that one.
May be we owe a great debt to the influence of a church, until we left that church or the man who ministered to us left.
It may have been the influence of our home and parents to which we owed a great deal. Then we left home or we lost our parents.
These things all brought us a great blessing, but the sad thing was they did not "abide forever." They were transient.
Now we notice How Pemanent is the ministry of the Word of God.
What's the point of making such a big deal out of the Word's permanence? The point is that when you are born by someone's seed, you take on the character of that seed. It constitutes your nature.
It is important that this vital abiding ministry should be practiced by every Christian. How great it is to the servant of God to know that the seed of the Word which God has enabled him to sow is an “incorruptible seed” and that it will endure forever. Have you been blessed when others have ministered the Word of God to you.
Well you may feel a greater blessing to know that this ministry is greater than others for it endures beyond time and into eternity. "Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven" [Psa.119:89]
[2] How effective it is.
"Born again... by the Word." The Word of God plays an Indispensable part in the work of regeneration [being born again]. The result of the sowing may not be seen immediately, and might lie dormant in the heart and mind of the hearer for many years. David writes "My soul fainteth for Thy salvation but I hope in Thy Word" [Psa.119:81]
The seed is incorruptible and this seed is the means in the hand of God for the creation of a new life.
It is therefore Fundamental that our messages and S.S lessons should be sowing the "incorruptible seed." It should not be that we are striving for popularity or cleverness, and not just content to entertain and hold the attention of the children with interesting stories. It should be that we know we have sowed the seed of the Word of God in the minds of the hearers.
I believe that this is the reason that much preaching today lacks not only power but spiritual results. Today quite often men seem to consider it is more important to proclaim what they think rather than what God has said.
If we want to witness the birth of a new life then it is absolutely essential that we should sow the "incorruptible seed" in the minds and hearts of the hearers. Remember the Word of God is indispensable.
[3] How encouraging it is.
We never need lack confidence in the proclamation of the message as long as it is the "Word of God."
IF it is a message of our own concoction we might as well not bother. IF the message depends upon the immediate influence on those who hear we ought to fear for their Spiritual well-being. IF we sow this "incorruptible seed" then we are sowing that which is divine in its origin, divine in its authority, and divine in its power. This we then can know with great surety and confidence that our sowing will have a Perpetuity that nothing else sowed will give us.
When we sow the "incorruptible seed" there will be a note of authority and a sense of confidence in our preaching. It will NOT come through being eloquent or refined but that the message is not the message of man. The message is of God.
[4] How essential it is
It is Necessary at the start. “Being born again, -- by the word of God” 1:23
The life giving Word of God.
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