God Hath Spoken
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
1) These four verses go to make up one sentence.
a) If some high school student should be called upon to analyze this sentence--He would point out as the principle clause--God Hath Spoken
2) In this long sentence-- Yet simple -- We find a profound truth expressed.
I) God Hath Spoken
1) It's a wonderful thing that God hath spoken.
a) Just try to imagine the condition of the world of God had never spoken.
2) In the first place--If God had never spoken--we and all the rest of the universe would not be in existance--In Genesis chapter 1 we find the expression "and God said" nine times.
3) What if God had never spoken to Adam--Noah--Abraham--Moses--Joshua--or any of our forefathers through the centuries?
4) As a clue to the condition that the world be in if God had never spoken--Just consider the places on earth where the Bible is not known.
a) We find backwardness--Ignorance--Disease--Darkness
b) Contrast this with America--Where the Bible is better known--But far from being faithfully followed.
c) We find--advancements of all kinds--Charitable institutions--educational institutions--etc.
d) If such blessings come by only respecting the word of God--What if all the word were fully followed?
5) It does make a difference when he speaks.
Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
a) The Greek philosophers were failures--no happiness here--no hope hereafter
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
b) If God had not spoken, we could not know where we came from--Where we are going--Nor would we know what to do while we are here.
c) We owe all of our progress to the fact that God hath spoken.
d) We could learn from the material universe that God is--We could learn that some sort of great being had brought the worlds into existance.
e) But--If God had not spoken--We could never know His will concerning us.
f) We could never know what He wants us to do.
II) GOD Hath Spoken
1) Not only is it important that God hath spoken--But that GOD hath spoken.
2) Just stop and think what that means--The Great God of the universe--Creator of heaven and earth--Creator of living creatures--and man.
a) The great God who has all Power--Wisdom--The Everlasting God hath spoken
3) Sometimes we see men on the earth that think they are too good to speak to other men.
a) We should all stop and consider the fact that God has spoken TO US.
b) Just think how great He is--Holy--Pure--and how Powerful He is--Yet He did not refuse to speak to us.
4) He wants us to hear Him that we may enjoy the blessings that come from learning and obeying His spoken word.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
III) God HATH Spoken
1) This word HATH--Is also important--It means that God has already spoken.
a) Not that He is continuing to speak now--But hath spoken.
b) Thus indicating to the world--At the time this fact was recorded--That God's revelation to the world through Christ had already been made.
c) Not all had been put in written form--But the gospel had already been revealed--and the apostles had been preaching it for several years.
Ephesians 3:1-7 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
2) God's message was completely delivered unto the world nearly two thousand years ago.
Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
3) This text does not say--God is speaking now--Or God continues to speak--Will speak--But HATH spoken.
a) His message is complete--Final--No additions--subtractions--or substitutions has ever been made--or ever will be made.
b) Those who claim a later revelation are making a false claim.
c) Those who are looking forward to another revelation are looking in vain.
d) This very simple and short clause--God HATH spoken--indicates that God's message to us is complte.
4) This great truth is further emphasized in another statement in the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
a) The word that God hath spoken is complete--It is all we need--We need not expect another revelation--God HATH spoken.
John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
b) Notice the word--Written
c) The source of our faith has been put in written form.
d) This fact refutes the claim that God is speaking directly to people today.
e) He HATH spoken--already delivered.
5) Most of us have heard men say that God has spoken directly to them.
a) But when asked just what God said to them--We get an answer about like this;
b) Oh! God said--I needed a savior or something like that.
c) But friends--He said that nearly two thousand years ago right here in His word.
d) God's message is complete--God HATH spoken.
IV) Since God Hath Spoken, we need to study The Bible which is His word.
1) As we study--We need to realize that it is a message from God--From heaven.
a) We need to realize also that it applies to each and every one of us--Just as much as it would if God were to speak to us in audible tones--calling us by name.
2) As an example--Suppose God should call you by name and say--Now why tarriest thou, arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins--
a) I believe that you would hasten to do it--But he has already said that in Acts 22:16. These are the exact words and they are spoken to you if you have never been baptized.
b) Notice this sentence again--God hath spoken unto us.
c) We should study His word diligently--and obey it faithfully.
V) God's word is Powerful
1) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
a) It was powerful enough to heal the blind man--to raise Lazarus--Still the tempest--etc.
b) It is powerful enough to save the soul.
James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
VI) God's word is FINAL.
1) We ought to accept it as the final and complete standard of all truth--By which to decide all religious questions.
a) As we talk to men--we soon learn that many standards are used to settle religious questions.
b) But the word of God is the only standard by which to measure these questions.
2) For example--Suppose three different people used a yardstick to measure the room--also suppose that the yardsticks are of different lengths.
a) All three would get a different answer--Why?--they used different standards.
3) This is just exactly what is wrong with the religious world today.
a) Some use Pope as yardstick standard--Bible--Church he belongs to--We get different answers because we all use a different standard.
4) I have had people to ask me--What does your church teach--or believe along this line or that?
a) Some ask--What do you think about it?
5) You can readilly see that all these different yardsticks will get different answers.
a) One man wants my opinion--another wants the church's opinion--what parents think about it--the way he feels about something--Tradition--What seems good to me
b) When we reason like this--we are using the wrong standard of measurement--so we get different answers--even my brethren use different standards.
6) But--God hath spoken--All the rest of the world should be quiet and listen to what He says and then let that be final.
a) Until the world is willing to take God's word as a standard--we will never have peace in the religious world--and until brethren are ready to take God's word as a standard--it can't happen.
VII) In Conclusion--Will You Obey His Word?
Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
a) Have you been neglecting your duty to God?
b) This is God's plan of salvation
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
c) The word of God also tells us--if we have fallen from grace to repent and pray.
2) I hope that you are impressed by the fact that God Hath Spoken Unto Us.
a) Are you willing to listen to that word?
b) I am not asking you to listen to me--or any other person or group--But only to God's word.
3) Jesus says:
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
INVITATION
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