Summary
Do you ever feel like an ass when you tell people about Jesus?
The Word of God offends the ego. It can make you look like a fool. And I sometimes wonder if it makes a difference . . . It seems weak.
In the modern era, all words seemed weak for “scientists” taught us that matter is what matters. And so, Liberal Christians set out to “demythologize” the Scriptures.
Fundamentalists reacted by taking them “literally,” and by that, they didn’t mean according to the author’s literary intent, but according to our “modern” notions of space and time. Even the Charismatics argued that unless someone shook or a leg grew it didn’t really matter; words don’t matter . . . we say.
In Revelation 19, John sees the Word of God riding a white horse.
A sharp sword, with which to smite the nations, comes from His mouth.
The Word conquers all things.
Some call this, “The Second Coming of Christ.” But according to Christ, He’s been coming ever since He told the high priest, “From now on you will see the Son of Man seated on the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Maybe we’re not so good at recognizing real power?
“In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God,” writes John. “All things were made through Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
Science now tells us that “in the beginning,” all matter came from “not matter.”
And the idea inside an observer’s head may actually matter more than matter.
What is “outside” of the Big Bang, and inside the temple of your soul, is what matters.
The Word of God is literally “The Logos of God,” which means “Logic of God,” “Reason of God” or “Idea of God.” “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” His name is Jesus. It means, “God is salvation.” He claimed that all of Scripture faithfully testified to Him. The Word of God is not a threat; it’s the fabric of reality.
To speak the Word of God, you must hear the Word of God . . . And it will cut you.
It cuts the flesh from all men—not “some”—all. It is God’s Judgment.
“God is salvation” is Judgment on “we are salvation”—the human ego.
To speak the Word you must believe it for yourself, as well as for others.
“One has died for all, therefore, all have died,” writes Paul. “Therefore we regard no one according to the flesh.” No one is the sum total of their own judgments; God’s judgment is who we truly are. You will experience Him as Faith, Hope, and Love rising within you and those around you.
You speak the Word in Truth when you see that the Word is speaking you.
“The Word of God is living and active. ” But we’ve treated the Word as if it were dead, and we were living and active. We’ve judged the Word, crucified the Word . . . and yet, we’re conquered by the Word. This is the Judgment: “Father forgive them. It is finished.”
You speak the Word in Faith when you entrust all judgment to the Word.
“If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him…” said Jesus.
“The Word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”
The Word that He has spoken is called reality.
The last day is the day you wake from the illusion that you have created yourself, and face the reality that you are God’s creation; it’s the day you stand before “God is Salvation,” Yeshua, Jesus.
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of psyche and pneuma, soul and spirit—“The Word of God,” not me.
If you think you must manipulate the Word or use the Word to save your neighbor, you’re not “testifying” to the Word. If you testify in anxiety and fear, you’re not testifying to “God is Salvation,” but to “we are salvation,” that is, the flesh.
The question is not whether or not God will be salvation.
The question is would you like to announce His Judgment?
“Your sins are forgiven you!”
If you wouldn’t like to announce His Judgment, I bet you’re not saved . . . yet.
To be saved is to love God’s Judgment—that is Reality, who is Jesus, the Word.
Grace is reality; anything else is outer darkness.
You don’t judge, but the Gospel you speak is the Judgment of the World . . . even if, especially if, you feel like an ass when you do.
Jesus rode an ass into Old Jerusalem and made all things new.
That’s what we saw; in reality, I bet it was a warhorse.
It was, and still is, and I’m guessing that’s you.
Preach the Word; He’s not weak.
*Discussion questions for this sermon are available here: Discussion Questions “The Word Wins”