This article was submitted by Pastor Walker to The New Bulletin
located in Old Fort, North Carolina. It is a weekly article.It is posted foryour reading enjoyment.

                                                                                              

Dr. Tom Walker

Article for Aug. 11-2010

What the Word of God Does For Me

2 Tim 4:2-4 says, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

In these three verses Paul the Apostle reminds us of something that works. That "something" is the Word of God that lives and abides forever.

First, he gives the command to "Preach the Word. He did not say preach your ideas or your philosophies, but preach or herald forth the precious Word of God. In the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, what was sown was the Word of God. That is the only way to have a bumper crop of spiritual fruit in your life and the life of others.

Then he speaks of the readiness to preach. Be instant in season and out of season. In other words, be ready to tell what Jesus did for you and what He can do for others anytime, or on the spur of the moment.

The Apostle gives three purposes for preaching:

1-Reprove- It means to "tell a fault." People don't want you to remind them of what they have done wrong and their shortcomings and their sins. Many want God's men to tell them how good they are, when the Bible clearly says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23).

2- Rebuke- It means to give a straight charge about a matter.

3- Exhort - Comes from the word to call. It means that we build others up by calling them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We build up through the Word of God.

We must give out this book because there is so much "false" doctrine around us. If you see the truth (what is genuine) you will know what is phony or fake when you see it.

I am going to give you six things the Word of God does for me:

I. God's Word Corrects Me When I Am Wayward.

One songwriter was honest enough to write, "Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." None of us are all we ought to be all of the time, so it is necessary that we have correction. Many times the brethren try to do that and try to take a splinter out of our lives, when they have several 4 x 4's in their own eyes.

When the Psalmist David got out of the perfect will of God for his life, God sent the prophet Nathan to him to correct his waywardness (2 Sam 12:1-7).

David was ready to have the man slain who did all the prophet told about in the story, but then came the shocking statement from Nathan who was sent from God to David, saying, "Thou art the man." King David repented when the Word of the Lord came to him but he learned that a man reaps what He sows. God did not erase the consequences of David's sin.

God's people may get into sin, but they will not stay in it (I Jn.3:9). That is how you tell a person who is of God from the one who is of the world. The one who is "of the world" keeps on sinning. A sheep may fall in the mud, but he gets out as quickly as it can. A pig stays in the mud and enjoys it.

II. God's Word Warms Me When I Am Cold.

I think of those two Emmaus disciples going down the Road to Emmaeus. Jesus had been crucified and two of the followers of Jesus were talking about the events of the day. The topic of conversation must have been the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. They may have remembered Christ said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." They had heard the body of Jesus that was placed in the tomb was missing. Had someone stolen it and where was the body of Jesus? A man came walking along side of them. Guess who it was? You guessed right, it was Jesus. They talked of how three days had passed since Jesus was crucified and how he was seen of the women who went to the tomb. Jesus spoke of Moses and the prophets and all the things concerning Himself. Then the Bible says, "Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened up the Scriptures?" The Living Word warmed their hearts and so will the written Word of God. Jeremiah said, " In Jer 20:9 the prophet said, "His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" (Jer. 20:9).

III. God's Word Comforts Me When I Am Bereaved.

In I Thess. 4, Paul speaks of those who are asleep or that have died. Sorrow comes when our loved ones die, but we do not sorrow as people who that have no hope. Paul reminded them we would not go ahead of those whose bodies are in the ground, but that we would be caught up together to meet the Lord in the clouds and we will forever be with the Lord. Then Paul said, "Comfort one another with these words" (I Thess. 4:18).

Rom 15:4 says: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.That is why I give bereaved families, disheartened Christians, and disillusioned people the Word of God.

IV. God's Word Strengthens Me When I Am Weary.

See Jn. 2:14 which says, "I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." Note the words "strong" and "the Word of God of God abideth in you" can be found in the same breath of the Apostle John. We are strong when we take in the Word of God.

There are so many weak, anemic, sickly Christians spiritually today, because we are not taking in enough of the Word of God to make us strong. For your body to be strong, you have to take in certain vitamins and minerals either through supplements or through your food. If the body does not get what it needs, it will become weak or diseased. Wherever you read the Word of God, the Lord has waiting for you the spiritual nutriments and vitamins you need for the journey of life. Strong believers are students of the Word of God.

V. God's Word Guides Me When I Am Confused.

I am going to give you one verse from the Psalms which says, " (Ps 25:5), "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

When I don't know the way, I have a book that has been my road map for over 52 years now, the King James Version of the Word of God.

When I get confused about what I am supposed to do, God's Word gives me an answer.

The other day I was talking with a pastor from out of this county about the will of God for His life. He did not know whether to leave where he is pastor now, or move to another church wants him to be their pastor. He was torn between the two.

God told me to give him Col. 3:15 which says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." God will not write His will upon the sky, but this principle of the Word of God can be his answer. Whatever God gives you absolute peace about, He is giving you the green light and moving you to do whatever it may be you are praying about.

God will guide us with His Holy Word.

VI. God's Word Gladdens Me When I Am Sad.

Ps 119:74, "They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word." I have never seen so many sad people inside and outside of the church. Sickness, disappointments, people, bad news, a troubled nation and even looking in the mirror can make us sad.

But, when the Word of God is applied to our lives it turns sadness to gladness, gloom turns to glory, darkness turns to light, hopelessness turns to hopefulness, despair turns to delight, defeat turns into victory, and turmoil turns into trust.

What a treasure we have in God's Word. Let's read it, meditate upon it, apply it to our lives, and share it with others. If we do, some will be saved and others will be blessed. The Word of God will do some wonderful things in your life if you just take it into your life.

 

 

Article by Dr. Tom Walker

Pastor-Zion Hill Baptist Church

 

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