I was asked questions very early in the week about authority. How do we do church? When we talk about church polity, how do we manage church? Is the pastor the authority in the church? Even I, as your pastor, am uncomfortable with that, much less you. We have a Council, a leadership team. They too make decisions for the good of the congregation. In some ways, of course, all of us are responsible to God and to each other for care. However, it became so clear to me as I reflected on God’s Word this week that the ultimate authority for you and I and the Church of Jesus Christ is God himself. This is easy to say, but do we just say that and then do what seems best to us? God’s word is authoritative in our life. Especially as evangelical believers in the world, we want to say that we are under the authority of God’s word. We only see that in part and practice it in part, both as individuals and as congregations and denominations, but when you and I get tripped up, invariably it is not over the things we don’t understand or the things we differ on, it’s the plain word, that for one reason or another we choose to ignore. This shows me the importance of some of the teaching that’s coming from our larger church group, Evangelical Covenant Church, on Christian Formation. What does it mean for you and I to be formed as believers? The emphasis is not that we said yes to a few Bible verses, but that you and I are in a life long discipleship program. I need to be shaped by God’s Word. I am nowhere near where I want to be and where God has called me to be. I like this emphasis for all of us, that we are being formed to be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.

The definition given on Christian Formation is: Our continuing journey of being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Jesus Christ, experiencing and expressing love for God and for others. That’s what you and I are being called into and this should be true for every believer.

The acronym G.R.O.W. is something that I’m going to talk about often in the coming weeks, {developed by our larger church group.} G represents God’s word, R stands for relationships with others, O represents obedient living and W stands for worship. You and I are called to grow and to be shaped as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. What impresses me so deeply today, that I want to talk about is the place that God’s Word should have in our life. Let us hear this passage from the Gospel of John 1:1-5. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him and without Him not one thing came into being. What has come into being with Him was light and the light was the light of all the people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.”

If you and I are Christians, then we believe that this is our origin. I don’t need to tell you that not everyone believes this. The world was created by the very Word of God. That’s the first source and the One we honor and worship is that same living Word. The One who said, “Let there be light,” has said let there be light in your heart and mind. You and I are called to be people of the Word, people who believe the scripture’s account. You and I are called to be people who believe God’s Word and be people whose lives are being shaped by the Word of God. The goal is not to be a member of good standing in this church. The goal is to be a believer filled with God’s Spirit, representing Him in this world. What a tragedy it would be if somehow we could be members in good standing in our congregation and not be right with God! The ultimate goal for you and I is to get right with God. The call to repent and believe in Jesus is perpetual. At the same time, the call of God is to honor His Word and be shaped by his Word.

Psalm 1:1-3: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers. But their delight is in the law of the Lord and on this law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in it’s season and their leaves cannot wither and in all that they do, they prosper.

The psalmist tells us that the way to be blessed is to meditate on the word He has spoken to us and to let that Word transform us from within. We must not get lost in running around with people who do not know God, especially we must not sit in the seats of scoffers. It’s so easy to tear down. It’s so different to be what God has called us to be. The scriptures, the law of the Lord is not just commandments for you and I, it’s food. It’s a promise that if you do this, you will be blessed. Your leaves will not wither. Isn’t that a powerful thing? This is a very complex culture that we live in. In the midst of this culture we must grab hold of God. Grab hold of His Word.

Hebrews 4:12-16: Indeed, the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. But all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render account. We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God. Let us hold fast to our confession, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are—yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We are told that this Word of God is a very potent Word. It will work in your life and mine like a sword. It can divide my soul from my spirit. It can divide joints from marrow. It can judge the thought and intentions of my heart. What a gift to you and me that God’s Word is constantly sorting through all the things that run through our minds, all the feelings that run through our hearts. I need this daily. Receive new life. Receive forgiveness. The Word of God teaches that we can come to Jesus with our weakness and our struggles. We are told in Matthew 4, in the temptation scene, that Jesus is doing battle with the evil one who is tempting him to turn rocks into bread. Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Each of us needs bread, but more than anything, we need the bread of heaven. We need to be people who understand that and live in terms of that, realizing that this is our lifeline.

Colossians 3:15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. You were called in one body and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom and with gratitude in your hearts sing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord and whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

We are exhorted in this passage to let the Word of Jesus dwell in us richly. Be rich in him. Let his word be a lifeline to you, encourage the brothers and sisters around you. This is our heritage. What an irony and this could happen—and may have happened already, if this country should experience a famine of the Word of God while satellites and radios are blaring it out 24 hours a day and you and I have next to nothing. I talked to a Pastor who is going to Africa this week. He loves going there because people just love being taught the Word of God. If he’s got 8 hours to teach, they have 8 hours to learn. He loves going where people are so hungry for the Word of God and I pray that for you and I. In the midst of all this glut, somehow we must have a spirit quickening word, that everytime we taste and see that the Lord is good, we want to come back to him for more and more and more.

II Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by Him. A worker, who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the Word.

You and I are called to do our best to present ourselves to God as workers who don’t need to be ashamed. This image is more like that of a hard working farmer or hard working mom, or tradesperson or homemaker. It’s not just talkers, it’s doers, doing our best to present ourselves to God, as someone who doesn’t need to be ashamed of the kind of work that is coming forth out of our life. When you see a master craftsman, they may or may not know that they are being watched, but it doesn’t matter. They have done their work with excellence and the examination only gives glory to God. The Word of God challenges us to do our best, that you and I work hard to understand God’s Word and handle it in a way that’s life giving to ourselves and our families and for people in our workplaces.

II Timothy 3:14-16 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient and equipped for every good work.

You see what God is after here? That every one of us would be proficient, healthy in understanding the Word and living it out in out in our lives. There are people you can reach, that I cannot reach. There are people that only you can reach. The goal of God as He pours out His Spirit in this place, this year is that every one of us would be able to receive and give light from God, because we are learning it from the sacred writings. We are submitting ourselves to His Word and being transformed by that Word.

Acts 17:11—The believers in Berea were more noble than those in Thessolonica, because they searched the scriptures to see if what was being preached was really God’s Word.

You can’t live alone on what you were taught 20 years ago. I’m sorry, that manna has spoiled. The Word of God is enduring, but He teaches us to pray, give us this day our daily bread. We need that Word daily. I want to encourage you all to be people of the Word. Give authority to the Word of God in your life, not just the written text, but the person who is Jesus. I guarantee that if you surrender to Him on a daily basis, your life will flourish. Our bodies may wear out. Not every one of our prayers are answered the way we would like. We will each have difficulties this year. May we remember that we have been given a great gift to help us in dark times—The Word of God.