THE WORD OF GOD

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A person who has the Word of God inside will slowly find every emotional problem healed. 
If we operate from God's Word, we will find success.
When the Word of God comes, everything changes.
Anointing comes with the word of God.
Love for the Word of God can change lives.

NOTES taken @ sermon given by Rev Fr Bobby Emprayil

15 March 2023 (Wed), Church of The Holy Family

THE ACCOMPLISHING POWER OF THE WORD
Part 1: The Word of God
Part 2: Overcoming evil by the Word of God

  


THE WORD OF GOD

If we want the intervention of God, bring in His Word.
  • Sirach 42:15 I will now call to mind the works of the Lord, and will declare what I have seen.
    By the words of the Lord his works are done.God works by his Word
  • Lack of Word --> lack of works.
  • When trouble hits, go to His Word. 


When there is darkness, bring in the Word of God

  • John 6:63 The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.When there is confusion, immediately start reading the Word. Darkness will be go away because light shines in the darkness. 
  • When the Word of God is there, darkness will be dispelled.
 
 
 THE WORD OF GOD IS A PERSON

The Word of God is a person

  • John 1:1-5 Whenever we read Scripture, we encounter Jesus because the Word is God.
  • The Book is a person
  • To be treated with reverence
  • The Bible is Jesus.
  • Honour the Word
  • Start loving the Bible.

 

 WE SO OFTEN PRAY WITHOUT THE WORD OF GOD

Many of us lack the Word of God

  • We pray without the Word of God, without Scripture.
  • We pray without learning the Word of God.
  • The Lord always sends the Word to do His work.

 

We need to pronounce the Word

  • Romans 10:10 For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation.
  • We need to pronounce the Word, then it starts operating.
  • We have to vocalise it, confess it on our lips.
  • When pronounced, the power is operating.
 

THE OPERATIVE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD

A person who has the Word of God inside will slowly find every emotional problem healed. 

  • John 15:7 But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. 
  • We will not continue to be the "touch me not"s, we will not one to be easily offended, one who easily lose our joy and peace, one who is easily feels misunderstood.
  • Things will change the more we pronounce the Word of God.

 

If we operate from God's Word, we will find success

  • Luke 5 - the story of Jesus calling his first disciples.
  • The fishermen caught no fish.
  • When Jesus finished speaking to the crowd, he told Simon to put the net out.
  • Simon said "At your word, I will let down my net."
  • Despite what his body was telling him (his tireness) and despite his experience telling him it will be futile to let down his net, he did at Jesus' word.
  • When he had done so, he caught a large number of fish.
  • Without God's word, by just trusting our own  strength and experiences, we will only get little success here and then because of the mercy of God.
  • But if we operate from God's word, we will find success.

  

EVERYTHING CHANGES

When the Word of God comes, everything changes.

  • We become more generous
    • We want to share
    • Our selfishness goes away
    • We recognise that nothing belong to us alone, they are to be shared.
    • Because the Word brought it, so they are to be shared.
    • Anyone who receive the Word of God will desire to share it.
  • We seek repentance
    • The more we read the Bible, the more we make good confessions.
    • The more we receive the Word of God, the more our repentance. Our capacity to save souls The spiritual authority to save souls - the more we receive Scripture, the greater our capacity to save many souls.
    • When one family member receives the Word, salvation will come to the family.
  • We drop everything to follow Jesus
    • We will have no inordinate attachment to anything.We are not to cling to any material things
    • We understand that things are just gifts from God.
    • Instead of rejoicing in the gifts, we rejoice in the giver.
    • This is the wisdom we have when we receive the Word of God.
    • We leave everything behind to follow Jesus.
  • The more we receive the Word of God, the more we will rejoice.
      • Our capacity to rejoice in the Lord increases 
      • When we do not have the Word of God, we rejoice in the wrong things - our jobs, money, people, status
 
When the Word of God comes, everything changes.
    • We find time for Eucharistic adoration
    • Reading Scripture becomes our priority.
 
Lacking the Word of God makes us like animals
  • Our souls lacking the Word of God start to starve, shrink, die.
  • We are disgruntled - we eat, we shout - no better than animals

When we start reading the Word of God daily, we change.
  • Heb 4:12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.Pride, jealousy, anger will disappear.
  • Unconfessed sins, past sins will be brought to the surface.
  • The more we read the Word of God, the more inside thoughts will be revealed and purified. 
  • All our bad intentions will be cleansed.


RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH THE WORD OF GOD

Receive the Word of God not as a human word

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
  • When we read Scripture, we should receive it as God's Word and not human words.  
  • Conversions, works of God are done through the Word of God.
  • The Word of God, when pronounced, healing will take place.
  • When the Word of God is preached, conversations take place.
  • The Word of God brings us the Holy Spirit.  
  • When the Word of God is present, the Holy Spirit is at work.
 
 WHEN WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND

Do not stop reading even when we do not understand

  • Very often we are discouraged from reading Scripture because we do not understand the meaning but read on even if we do not understand. 
  • We read and the Word will perform its works.
  • Acts 8:26-40 - The story of the eunuch reading Scripture
    • The eunuch read even when he did not understand
    • The Holy Spirit was operating
    • When reading Scripture, the Lord will bring people, healing and blessings.
    • With the Word of God, He will bring people from far and near to help us.
Pray for the Lord to open our minds
  • Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 
  • Let the Lord open our minds.  
  • The more we read and the more we ponder in our minds, the more we understand.
  • The more we understand, the more we are fulfilled.
 

 THE WORD OF GOD BRINGS SANCTITY

In Scripture we find eternal life

  • John 5:39 You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 
  • We study Scripture diligently because in it we find eternal life
  • In very page of every book in the Bible, Jesus is present.
 
The Word of God sanctifies us
  • John 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 
  • This was the prayer Jesus made for us
  • 2 Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
    When we get angry, start reading the Word of God, it will sanctify us and we will change.
  • Our hot temper will dissipate when we keep the Word of God in our heart.
  • Anxieties and fears will disappear when we keep the Word of God in our heart.
Everything will be accomplished
  • Mat 5:18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 
 
 
COMMIT AND RECEIVE

Commit to reading Scripture daily
  • Psalm 119:89 The Lord exists forever; your word is firmly fixed in heaven. 
    • Every written word is fixed in heaven.
  • Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
    • Taste the sweetness of the Word
Blessings are lavished
  • Revelations 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
  • Each time we read aloud, blessings are lavished on us
  • Each time we spread the Word of God, blessings come to us
 Read, listen, obey
  • Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.

 

ANOINTING COMES

 Anointing comes with the Word of God

  • Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
  • We make right decisions because we have the Word of god
  • New life we will see
  • 1 Peter 1:23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God
 

Love for the Word of God can change lives

  • Jer 23:29 Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
  • All impurities inside us will be burnt by this fire
  • The Word of God will go in like a fire and burn all impurities
  • Hearts that are hardened, hearts that are like a rock
    • when the sorrow and sufferings of others do not touch us 
    • when we do not feel for others
    • when we feel others are making us suffer
    • when pride, arrogance consume us
  • But each time we receive the Word of God, something takes place
 
HONOURING THE WORD

 Honouring the Word
  • The Word of God is not an ordinary book, honour it
  • St Jerome said no one can love Jesus without loving the Bible
  • Loving the Bible is as important as loving the Eucharist
  • Jesus is equally present in both the Eucharist and the Bible.  
 

Comments

  1. Anonymous16 March 2023 at 19:18

    Thankyou for your compilation. We really treasure it.

    ReplyDelete

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