God’s Word Matters!

7th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/16/23 Isaiah 55:6-11 God’s Word Matters! I. A word of urgency II. A word of blessing How many words does the average person speak, hear, and read every day? I tried to find an answer to that question, and, as you can imagine, the results of the “research” on this topic vary widely. A few of the factors to consider are your age, your level of education, and whether you are male or female. One study concluded that, on average, we speak, hear, and read over 100,000 words per day. If you do the math, assuming you sleep about 7 hours per day, that comes to about 6,000 words per hour. Think about it. If I hear, speak, or read 6,000 words per hour, what else do I have time for? But, if that estimate is even close to being accurate, it means that I’m compelled to limit my exposure to words if I want to accomplish something meaningful during the day. And we’re usually the better for it. Let’s admit it—there are far too many words being spoken and shared than need to be. In fact, we’ve become adept at limiting our exposure to words. We pick and choose which words we want to pay attention to because we know that far too many words that we encounter have an agenda attached to them and we don’t appreciate it. We’re tired of being treated as a market for consumption by someone else’s words and ideas. Unfortunately, that approach spills over into our exposure to the messages that are critical for our lives now and for the life to come. Our God has chosen to reveal himself to us in words. He could have chosen some other media such as dreams, or visions, or videos, but he didn’t. Instead, he communicates what he wants us to know and believe through written words on a page. And our response to that decision can be, “That’s archaic!” Or, “But there’s a tidal wave of words coming at me every waking moment of the day and God’s words are just a small portion of that verbal inundation.” I get it. Far more words in your daily life than you have time for. So, that means you’ll need to prioritize which words you’ll pay attention to. Which words are important. Which words you’ll ponder and make your own. The people of Isaiah’s day were surrounded by words as well, probably not to the extent that you are today, but enough so that they had to make choices. Which words would they listen to? Which words were important? It’s no surprise that Isaiah urged them to listen to the words of their God. In fact, there are no more important words to listen to. God’s word matters. I hope you agree with me. That’s why you’re listening to God’s word this morning. But let’s remind ourselves of what makes God’s word so important. In doing so, may our Lord lead us to focus our attention and our lives on his words. Part I. I’m going to guess that almost all of you use the internet or social media as one of your ways to communicate words with your world. It’s an unbelievable blessing of modern digital technology. But, as with any blessing, comes a warning. You’re aware that there are cybercriminals lurking behind your media screen, attempting to harm you. And one of the ways that they entice you to read the words they are sharing with you and take some sort of action is to create a sense of urgency. You have to act now. Your loved one is in extreme danger, so you need to share your personal information with this other person immediately. I hope you’re wise enough to realize a scam when you see it. But urgencies aren’t always a scam. The Lord uses one in the opening words of our text, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” Why does it take our doctor telling us that we only have a few months to live before we realize that our time is precious? It’s not limitless. Your life could end later today. So, what will you pay attention to? “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” You only have a lifetime to come to know Jesus as your Savior from sin. You only have a lifetime to develop your relationship with the most important person in your life, Jesus Christ. And that lifetime could end at any moment. So, pay attention to the means by which you have a relationship with Jesus—his word. God’s word matters! So, “Call on him while he is near.” He’s sharing his word with you right now. He’s been doing so this entire hour. In fact, he’d like to continue doing so the rest of the day. That doesn’t mean you need to stick your head into the pages of your personal or online Bible. But it does mean that he wants you to ponder his truths as you make your way through the rest of the day. And, in a few minutes, we’ll have the opportunity to receive our Savior’s body and blood for the assurance of our forgiveness in the Lord’s Supper. Cherish that opportunity! Make it the highlight of your worship experience. It might be the last time you have the opportunity to do so. And, if you’re still debating about the value of his word, listen to this explanation of its content, “He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” What’s your biggest problem? It’s not health, or relationships, or finances. It’s sin. Sin is our biggest problem because there’s nothing we can do to overcome its curse which is death in hell. Be thankful that God’s words to you assure you that he is merciful. He’s not going to give you what you deserve for sin; instead, he has sent you a Savior, Jesus Christ. Are there any other words in all the world more important than those words? Obviously, there aren’t. And now is the time to pay attention to them. God’s word matters because it’s a word of urgency. “If I don’t take advantage of the opportunity to listen to God’s word today, I might not have that opportunity again.” Has that thought ever crossed your mind? Probably not. Instead, when presented with the opportunity to hear God’s word, we weigh it against all sorts of other options for our time and attention. In fact, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “If I don’t have anything better to do, I’ll listen to God’s word”? If so, then consider this: whatever else you choose to pay attention to won’t matter 100 years from now, maybe not even 20 years from now. It might not even matter by the end of this week. Lord, forgive me for despising my opportunities to grow in your word. And he does! He does forgive me and you. How do I know? Because his word conveys his mercy. He should rightly take his word from us, but, instead, he goes to great lengths to share it with us. This could be the last time you hear his word. This could be the last time you receive Holy Communion. God’s word matters because it’s a word of urgency. Part II. In spite of the fact that we might speak, hear, and read 100,000 words on average every day, it’s not that words are nothing. They are “something.” They affect us. Consider how often words can bring you joy, such as a message of love and care from a loved one. But words can even cause pain from those same loved ones. What’s more, we seek advice through words that will impact our health, finances, happiness. Words have power. And I was just speaking of human words. Imagine when the source of those words is the almighty God! Their power! Their impact! Their divine qualities! That’s the next point our God makes. He states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” First, his thoughts and ways are above ours. No doubt that’s true in every way. We’re only human beings with limited knowledge. He’s the almighty, eternal, all-knowing God. All his thoughts and ways are above ours. But the context of this verse seems to indicate that his thoughts and ways are higher in a specific respect—that of his grace and mercy. We deal with people generally on the basis of what they earn and deserve. Not our God. He does what is humanly unthinkable and unwise. He shows mercy and grace to sinful people who deserve death and damnation. Who would do that consistently, eternally? Only our God, and he does it through his word. What’s more, those words have power. First, they have power to create saving faith in Jesus. That’s something you can’t produce on your own. It comes through God’s word. Second, God’s word has the power to strengthen faith. Realize that every day your faith is under attack from hellish forces far more powerful than you are. Only God’s words sustain your faith. And third, Those words enable your faith to bear fruit. How was your Christian life last week? Stellar? Or, could it use a little help? Would you like more power to be the Christian you want to be? Then take to heart the words of God. They are the power that drives your Christian life. God’s word matters. It’s a word that brings you God’s blessings every day. So, what will get the priority in your life this week? The latest self-help advice you receive on your social media outlet or the word of God which brings you God’s blessings which last forever? Where will you find your comfort? In the worldview that you’re the best version of the person you can be or in the truth that you are God’s child by faith in Jesus, forgiven and destined for eternal life with him? Where will you find the motivation to do what you know needs to be done? In some phrases of fleeting pop psychology or in the timeless truths of the eternal word of God? My friends, flee to God’s word this week! Make it your treasure. And be assured once again that God’s word matters! Amen.