Beyond Sunday
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the Podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week, with your Hosts Pastors' Lee and Jim.
It's Time to Inspire, Uplift, and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now!
Beyond Sunday
God's Word never returns Void
Discover the profound impact of God's Word, as we promise to guide you through its divine power and purpose. Just as rain and snow nourish the earth, Scripture breathes life and vitality into our spiritual journey. Uncover the rich Truths from Isaiah 55:10-11 and explore how the Word acts as a seed, ready to bear fruit when nurtured with faith, as demonstrated in the parable of the sower from Luke 8. We invite you to embrace the powerful force of Scripture, confident in its ability to fulfill God's intentions, echoing the creative marvel seen in Genesis 1.
Join us in exploring the transformative journey of living out God's Word. We discuss the necessity of embodying the teachings of the Bible through faith and action, encouraged by examples like the centurion's unwavering trust in Jesus' authority from Matthew 8. As we reflect on passages such as Hebrews 4:12 and Luke 11:28, we highlight the blessings and spiritual growth that await those who actively engage with the Word. Our conversation is a call to trust in God's sovereignty and timing, ensuring His promises will be realized, and urging us to act with hope and expectation as we cultivate a life grounded in Scripture.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week with your hosts, pastors Lee and Jim. It's time to inspire, uplift and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now. Hey everybody, welcome to today's episode. I got a question for you have you ever wondered about the power and the purpose behind God's Word? We know that God's Word is often described as living and active, but what does that really mean for us? Today, we're going to be diving into Isaiah 55, 10 and 11, where God's promised that His Word will never return void. It will accomplish everything that it sets out to do. Let's explore what that means for us and how God works and why we can trust it will fulfill its purposes, even when we don't even see the immediate results. I'm Pastor Jim and I'm sitting here with Pastor Lee. Let's get into God's Word.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's going on? Everybody, how are you doing? We just want to say hello, God bless you and thank you for tuning in for our third episode, Episode three Isaiah 55, 10 through 11. Let's get right into it. Hopefully by now our listeners have understood to this point.
Speaker 2:We throw a lot of scripture into our podcast and if you do have your Bibles, that's great. Go ahead and open it up to Isaiah 55, 10 through 11. And this is what the Word of God says, For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Oh man, so there's some great stuff in those two verses right there that we're going to get into in today's topic.
Speaker 2:And one of the first things, Pastor Jim, that I want to take a look at with the people today. I want to take a look at what God is saying here in the text Rain and snow, right. So we got rain and we got snow that come down from heaven, and God is showing us in the text that rain and snow, they both have purpose. So also God's word, right, God's word has purpose and this is the point that the father's making through his word here. As rain and snow, they produce results. God's word, when applied to our lives in faith, also produces results. What do you think?
Speaker 1:about that, brother? Well, I think it's a powerful metaphor, right Rain and snow coming down. When I read the Word, I like to create images and scripts in my mind and I look at this as rain and snow coming down from heaven. It's precipitation that's nourishing the earth, and God's Word nourishes His plans and His purposes. So think about it. When it rains, the earth is going to absorb the water and life begins to grow. And I think that in the same way, god's Word enters our hearts and it produces spiritual life.
Speaker 1:In John 6, 63, jesus tells us that the words that he has spoken to us, they're spirit in life. And that's how powerful God's Word is. And it's not just information, that's it. The Bible's not just a set of instruction, it is life in and of itself. And in John 15, 7, jesus continues on and says If you abide in me and my words abide in you, whatever you wish, it will be done for you. And by this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. So I think, just as the rain waters the earth and enables growth, god's Word, it's designed to water our hearts and it enables growth into us spiritually, it brings life to us, it shapes us and it helps us bear fruit for God's kingdom. Yeah, man.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's like it just excites me so much. I just feel like preaching this morning. You know what I mean. I got to kind of hold back, you know, because I know we're on a podcast this morning, but like the words used here, you know like it shall accomplish. You know God is saying my word shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. So, man, we've got great hope clinging to the Word of God for our lives, and that's really what we're going to. We're really going to beat that drum today in this episode.
Speaker 2:So we go from seeing God reference rain and snow to, just a few words later, he begins to talk about seed and bread. And in Luke, chapter 8, we see Jesus explaining the parable of the sower and in the 11th verse he says that the seed, the seed, is the word of God. So the purpose, pastor, jim, of the seed is to produce fruit. That seed, it's planted, we water it, we tend to it, we take care of it, all in the effort, because we know when we take care of that seed, it's going to produce for us fruit. And just like in our lives, when we're going through something, we speak God's word. We take the seed, the word of God, and we speak it over our life, over our situation. We plant that seed and in great faith, that's how we take care of it right, with great faith. We are going to expect great results. What do you think about that, brother?
Speaker 1:Well, I think it comes down to intention. Right, god speaks with intention. His Word will accomplish His will. It just doesn't float around aimlessly, right. It's sent with a purpose, so just like seed I had that vision of seed just floating through the air. I don't think it's like that. I think God speaks with intention and everything that he says has a purpose. And we can simply look to Genesis 1, back in creation, when we read how God spoke the earth into existence. He said let there be light. And there was no messing around, there was simply light. His word created everything that we see and Paul often reminds us.
Speaker 1:In Scripture he says that it's breathed out by God and it's profitable for teaching. It's profitable for reproof and for correction and for training in righteousness. God's Word isn't meant to just inform us. It's meant to shape us, it's meant to correct us, it's meant to teach us, it's meant to guide us into living righteous lives. It has a purpose, it's intentional. And I love Psalms 119. It's one of my life verses, because I always want the word of God in front of me, I want it being a lamp to my feet, I want it to light my path. God's word is there to guide us through this life and to show us the way and lead us to truth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it also says that we should take that word and we should hide it in our heart. You know what I mean, that we know that when we put it in us, it's always going to be there and be in the inventory, if you will, for the Holy Spirit to be able to pull it out and use it, you know. So we go from rain and snow, we go to seed and bread. Let's talk about bread for a moment, right In Matthew 4, 4. All right, so Matthew, chapter 4, verse 4, jesus is being tempted by Satan, and this is what Jesus says man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. So I'd like for the people to consider this today.
Speaker 2:God's Word is seed and it's also a type of spiritual bread. We sow the seed and once we sow it, we're to expect great results. But we also consume, if you will, we eat the Word, we digest the meaning of what's going on in this Word Jesus, he is the spiritual bread. The Word teaches us that Jesus is the bread of life. So, whether it's rain or snow, or seed or bread, there is a great purpose to knowing the Word of God, to living out the Word of God and proclaiming the Word of God, because we know that God's Word is going to set out to accomplish that which he's purposed. It will not return void.
Speaker 1:So there's purpose in the plan and there's action, because of the plan, and that has everything to do with the fact that His Word is living and it's active, and it can apply to each and every single one of us the way that we've experienced it. In Hebrews 4, 12, we're reminded that God's Word is active and is powerful, and it's sharper than any two-edged sword cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. What the Word of God does is it's exposing our innermost thoughts and desires, and God's Word has the power to transform us, because it's not just words on a page, it's living and it's active. And more than that, God's Word is sovereign. You know it's going to achieve what it intended.
Speaker 1:Whether we see it or not, God's Word will always accomplish its purposes, and sometimes it doesn't look like maybe we've expected it to. For instance, maybe you shared a gospel with somebody, right, and they don't immediately respond with faith in Christ. Does that mean God's Word failed? No, because in 1 Corinthians we're reminded that sometimes our job is simply just to plant the seed, the watering and the growth that all comes later. We can't predict how God is going to use His Word, but we can be sure it will succeed. Every single word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Speaker 2:God's Word never fails. Absolutely, brother, Absolutely man, Like I'm, just as you're talking, like I'm thinking right about this analogy that I use quite a bit, you know, when people wonder like God's not answering, I'm standing on His Word, I'm praying His Word, I'm believing His Word, but how come I'm not seeing God's Word come into fruition? Why am I not seeing the promises of God that His Word tells me that I have? Why am I not seeing these promises from my life activated in my life? Well, I'd like to give this example.
Speaker 2:You know, Pastor Jim, if I mail you a letter today and I put a check in it and it's going to bless you and you need that blessing, or I put a scripture in it and that scripture is going to hit you right where you need, when you need it most, and that word is going to be a blessing to you, Okay, if I put that in the mail for you today, you're not going to see it today, but the fact that you don't see it does not mean that the provision, the blessing, is not on the way to you and so blessing.
Speaker 2:If I were at church, I'd tell people to take notes on this right here. Blessing takes time, you know, a seed sown takes time, you know, and it takes time because there's purpose in the waiting. I call that training ground, you know. I call that training ground so that letter, that provision, that blessing, that answered prayer, that promise could be on the way to you today. And just because you don't see it yet, because it's still early, doesn't mean it's not getting there. Or just because it doesn't come by the time you lay your head down this evening doesn't mean it's not coming. It's on the way. But we have to be strengthened in the training ground. We've got to be strengthened in the season of waiting and that takes us from faith to faith, that increases our faith and gets us from glory to glory.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we ain't got to understand it. You know, sometimes we don't fully understand the mystery of how God works, and it's kind of like the meteorologist he can't always predict the weather, we can't always predict how or when God will use his word and when it will land. But we are called to trust him even in that mystery.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. You know, I am reminded of Matthew, for those who have their Bibles and want to go there with us. Matthew, chapter eight, beginning with the fifth verse, and it's referencing, it's speaking of the faith of the centurion. And Matthew, chapter eight, verse five, says this friends, when he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly. And he said to him I will come and heal him. But the centurion replied Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word and my servant will be healed. I mean, think about that. You know, here we have Jesus, and he hears this centurion, he hears his heart, you know. And he says okay, I'll come, I will come and see him and I will heal him.
Speaker 2:The words of Jesus in the seventh verse, I will come and heal him. And so you would think the centurion would just be like, hey, great, awesome, thank you, praise God. I appreciate that. But the centurion understands authority, because in the ninth verse he goes on to say for I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, go and he goes, and to another, come and he comes and to my servant, do this, and he does it.
Speaker 2:And when Jesus heard this here's the amazing thing when Jesus heard this verse 10, he marveled and said to those who followed him truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. What kind of faith is this? The centurion says Jesus, just say the word. That's the type of faith that Jesus says I've not found such faith in all of Israel. We've got to get to the place, to where we can just say the word, because it is enough to have faith in the word, to have faith in God through Jesus Christ, to speak the word, word, to have faith in God through Jesus Christ, to speak the word, to speak the promises of God, to know that God will answer in his timing, to just say the word, pastor Jim, it is enough.
Speaker 1:John 3, 8 says the wind blows where it wishes and you hear it sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born in the Spirit. We can't control or predict God's Word, but we can trust that His Spirit is at work even when we don't see it. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:2 Timothy 2, verse 15, says this Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Speaker 1:Man, that is so good and you know, as we're talking about. You know God's word and his promise that it won't return back void, that it will accomplish that which it's set to go forth, and do you know? It gets me wondering where are we in all of this? If God's Word is faithful and true to go where it's going to go and do what it says it's going to do, how are we called to respond to God's Word outside of just trusting and being obedient to it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think what's happening here at the end of the 15th verse rightly handling the Word of truth right. So it's more than just listening to the sermon, it's more than just hearing the word on a podcast, it's more than just checking out the verse of the day on your phone. All those things are extremely important and we recommend all of them. Obviously, once you get the word, to rightly handle the word. And it's so important that we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us. You know, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things you know.
Speaker 2:So I want the Holy Spirit to minister to me, to teach me, to show me the meaning and the truth of God's Word for me and for my life, for my ministry, for my family, and hopefully every person out there has that same desire. So not only do we speak the Word, but we've got to know how to rightly handle the Word. I don't want to misuse the Word of God just to get what I want to get. I don't want to take God's Word out of context just to make it fit the boundaries that I'm trying to squeeze it into right. So not only do we have to just say the Word, we've got to rightly handle the Word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think part of handling the Word rightly is also doing the Word. You know, jesus talks about how those who just don't hear my words but they do them, they're wise. You know, back in Matthew 7, where he talks about building your house on the rock, he says those who don't just hear my words but actually do them are wise. And then also we can't forget about James 1.22, where we're told to be doers of the Word. We're not just supposed to be hearers only.
Speaker 1:The Bible says that we're deceiving ourselves if we think that we're just going to show up and hear God's Word and we don't have a response. Our response should be obedience. Jesus is constantly telling us blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it, blessed are those who live out my Word. And that's why, in James 1.22 also, that we're told Be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. Our response to God's word should be one of obedience. We shouldn't just be showing up to our church's services. We shouldn't just be showing up to our Bible studies or listening to podcasts and listening to the word but then not doing anything about it. We should be trying to apply it to our lives and then actually doing what the Word of God tells us to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what we cannot expect is God to do a work inside of us and us not, in return, want to do a work as well, right? Like you know I've often said, like you know, right, like you know I've often said, like you know, you do what you can do. Let God do what you can't do, right? So if I'm, if I'm expecting God to accomplish a work inside of my life and to see his words succeed in the thing for which he sent it, as Isaiah 55, 10 and 11 teaches us, you know, then I've got to be willing to get my feet moving. I got to be willing to get my hands moving and dirty, you know. It reminds me. You referenced James, chapter 1, 22, about being doers of the word and not hearers only. It says because we will deceive ourselves, you know, if we're just going to be hearers only and that's a powerful word we have deceived ourselves. If we take this alive, living sharper than any two-edged sword, and we allow it to get on the inside of us and we do nothing with it, we have deceived ourselves.
Speaker 2:And the 23rd verse says for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself. Verse 24, for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. Verse 25,. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. And so that's where we want to be friends, that's where we want to be. We want to be a people that not only hears, but hears and goes out and does what we have been taught from the Word of God, because we know that that Word, when it gets in us, will accomplish the purpose that God has for it.
Speaker 1:Luke 11, 28,. Jesus tells us, and reminds us of that very thing. Blessed, rather, are those who hear the Word of God and keep it. See, god blesses those who live out His Word. So, as we look to wrap up today, I want everyone who's listening to remember this God's Word is powerful, it's purposeful, it's sovereign. It's not going to return void. It will always accomplish everything that God intended it to do. Even when we don't understand His timing or His ways, we can trust that His Word will achieve His purposes. So my challenge, and I think what we want to accomplish here today, is let's respond in faith and let's respond in obedience, trusting in the mystery of God's plan. His Word is life-giving, it's transforming, it's active in every single one of us. It's not going to return empty and it's going to accomplish what he sent it out to do.
Speaker 2:Amen, amen. I'm going to go ahead and say a quick prayer for the people. Father, I pray your blessing over your people in the name and the blood of Jesus, father, that they would consider the things that we've talked about today, the things that they've heard, that they would continue to study your word and that they would be blessed from doing so. And we ask all this in the mighty name and the blood of Jesus and all God's people said amen.
Speaker 1:Amen, listen, take some time out today and reflect on how God's word is at work in your life. Trust that his word will accomplish his purposes, even if you don't see it right away. And if you're not already begin to respond in faith and obedience to God's word, let's bear fruit in our away. And if you're not already begin to respond in faith and obedience to God's word, let's bear fruit in our lives. God bless you.
