1. It is the seed of the Kingdom
2. It is an incorruptible seed
3. It is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path
4. It is the Sword of the Spirit
5. Of course, we are talking about the Word of God - Ephesians 6:17
6. Jesus is depicted as having a sword coming out of His mouth - Revelation 1:16
7. Jesus is said to possess a sharp two-edged sword - Revelation 2:12
8. Why did God choose to use a sword as a symbol for His word?
9. Let’s see if we can identify a few reasons
A. "Tool" - a device or implement designed to carry out a specific task
1. Tools are designed for a very specific task
2. We use tools to perform tasks that we can’t do ourselves
B. For what purpose or task, was the Word of God given?
1. It reveals the mind of God to us - 1 Corinthians 2:7-13
2. It serves as a manual to teach us how to be pleasing to God
b) 2 Peter 1:3
3. Obedience to its teachings will save our souls - 1 Peter 1:22-23
a) Obedience to the truth will purify our souls - John 17:17
b) It is through obedience to the Word that we are born again - John 3:3-5
c) James 1:21
4. It will build us up spiritually - Acts 20:32
5. It equips us for every good work - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
A. "Weapon" - a means of gaining an advantage or defending oneself in a conflict or a contest
1. We are in a conflict - Ephesians 6:11-12
2. The sword of the Spirit is a weapon that we use in this conflict
B. The Sword of the Spirit is an offensive weapon
1. It is a means of gaining advantage in our conflict
a) 1 John 5:4-5
b) We get our faith from the Word of God - Romans 10:17
2. It is a powerful weapon - Hebrews 4:12
3. It is a weapon that never grows dull - 1 Peter 1:23-25
C. The Sword of the Spirit is a defensive weapon
1. It can be used to defend ourselves against the evil plans of Satan - 2 Corinthians 2:11
a) First of all, it warns us that the Devil is seeking to destroy us - 1 Peter 5:8
b) It further warns us that Satan is crafty - 2 Corinthians 11:3
c) It warns us that he and his servants transform themselves into "ministers of light." - 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
d) We see these characteristics in:
(1) His dealing with Eve. "You shall NOT surely die." - Genesis 3:4
(2) His dealing with Job - Job 1-2
(3) His dealing with Jesus - Matthew 4:1-11
2. Psalm 119:11
A. Like any tool, or weapon, the Bible is not much good to us if we are not skilled in it’s use
1. In the hands of a skilled swordsman, a sword is a deadly, powerful weapon
2. In the hands of a novice, there is a real danger of harming oneself as much as harming the enemy
B. We must put time and effort into learning to use the Word of God
2. We must:
a) Learn scripture references for basic Bible doctrines
b) Learn to use Scriptures in context
c) Know the difference between the Old and New Covenants
d) Learn how to impart our knowledge to others
C. When we plant the word in people’s hearts, God will give the increase
D. The novice is in danger of twisting the Scriptures to his own destruction - 2 Peter 3:16
A. We must be aware of the fact that there are people who misuse the Bible
B. The Devil did it - Matthew 4:5-6
C. Some are willing to handle the word of God in a deceitful manner for their own gain - 2 Corinthians 4:2
D. When someone uses a sword for evil, it is not a reflection on the sword maker
1. The fact that many use the word of God to do evil does not imply that there is anything wrong with either the word or the one who gave it
2. It is simply a testimony to how wicked some people can be
1. Practice with the Sword of the Spirit - spend time reading and studying
2. Carefully use the Word of God for defense and offense
3. Use it correctly for it's given task and you may save yourself and others - Are You Saved?
-- Ralph Price at Streetsboro, January 2011 --
|
|