May 26, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Why is God's word powerful Because God guarantees it.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Doctor Tony Evans says, God's promises don't depend on odds,
They rest on His omnipotence.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
And because God is all powerful, God's word is absolutely effective.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. There's no doubt
that words hold power. They can leave a mark on
us for better or worse. But when it comes to
God's Word, that mark can go even deeper. It has
the power to cut through confusion and reveal what's true
(00:41):
in our lives.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Today.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Doctor Evans explains how scripture penetrates our hearts with the
ability to bring lasting transformation. Let's join him as he.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Explains Isaiah fifty five, verse eleven. It says, so shall
my word be, which goeth forth from my mouth, It
shall not return to me empty without accomplishing what I desire,
and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
(01:13):
He makes a statement here about the Word of God
that it is powerful. What do we mean by the
Word of God being powerful when we say that the
Word of God is powerful?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
What we're saying is that it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Accomplishes its designated purpose. In other words, it's not just
random power. It's not power out of control. It is
not power without purpose. It is purpose for power. Seven
times in the first chapter of Genesis, God spoke the word.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Let there let there be life.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
And I like the way it ends, it says, and
it was so, let's see let the water be separated
from the land, And it was so.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
God's word is so powerful.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
That it can bring about whatever God's will is. Because
God stands behind his word. All of us have in
our homes electrical outlets. Those electrical outlets are for your
appliances so they can plug in and do whatever they
(02:35):
were created to do. Lights come on, refrigerators come on, toasters,
work can open, electric can openers can open cans.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
All of that. All around your house.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
There are electrical outlets designed to give power so that
an appliance can fulfill its created reason for me. But
the power is not in the outlet. All the outlet
does is give you a contact point for the power
(03:09):
to reach the purpose. The purpose is in the appliance.
The outlet is the contact point, but the power is
in the plant. It is a power plant providing to
your home and my home. Electrical power coming through electrical outlets,
so electrical appliances can fulfill that purpose. What God has
(03:34):
done in his word is giving you and I a
contact point, a point where the physical realm can make
contact with the spiritual realm.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
In words we can understand.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
But the power is not in the appliance or the
one receiving it, nor is the power simply in pieces
of paper stitched together in a book. The power is
that there is a God behind the word, who stands
behind what he says, and thus his word is powerful,
(04:10):
like you would view the outlet as being powerful, because
it is the conduit to introduce the supernatural power of
God to our functioning as people in history. There's a
little verse I want you to notice in Luke Chapter one.
Luke chapter one, God has told Mary she's gonna have
(04:36):
a baby. Now, this is blowing her mind because this
is not humanly possible. She wants to know, how is
this possible. She's never been intimate, she's a virgin, so
this is an impossible situation. And not get pregnant, he
(05:04):
says in verse thirty six. And behold, even your relative
Elizabeth has also conceived the son in her old age,
that was another impossibility. And she who was called Baron
is now in her six months. So before we ever
talk about your problem, Merrick, let me tell you about
your relative Elizabeth. Your relative Elizabeth has gone all of
(05:28):
her life without the ability to conceive. Now she's too
old to conceive, but yet she's six months pregnant. So
first of all, I want to let you know you're
not the only one I'm working with that. I got
stuff I'm doing all over the place, including in your
own family. But I know you're probably saying, but yeah,
(05:50):
it's one thing for a woman to have a husband
and get pregnant, even though it was impossible for her
to get pregnant. Yeah, we'll call that a mini miracle.
But what you're talking about now is a maxim miracle
because I have not been intimate. God then says to
(06:11):
her an astounding phrase.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
In verse thirty seven, He says.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
For nothing will be impossible with God. Now I want
to say a word about the word nothing. Somebody say nothing.
Some of you have in your bibles a note. Some
bibles have it, some don't, some even translated this way.
(06:40):
But the word nothing in verse thirty seven literally means
not any word. So if we were to put that
phrase in where the word nothing is what God literally
says is not any word will be imposs for God,
(07:01):
let me translate what he's saying. He's saying, I just
told you, girlfriend that you're gonna have a baby. I
know you a virgin. We won't it that way. I
know you have never been intimate. But this is not
a normal situation. You're gonna give birth to.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
The son of God.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
In fact, he told him you shall call his name
Jesus in verse thirty one, and he will be great
verse thirty two. He will be called the son of
the Most High, the Lord God will give him the
throne of David. He will reign over the House of
Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end. And that's
when she says, but how can this be. I'm a virgin,
(07:48):
she says, in verse thirty four, this cannot be. God's
point was, no, No, you're not listening. I'm working out
a plan. This is part of a program. I even
have the details. I'm gonna tell you what you're gonna
name it. I'm gonna tell you what he's gonna do.
(08:09):
I'm gonna tell you what he's gonna be. And in
order to pull this off, I need a virgin. He's
got to be the son of God and the son
of man. He can't be the son of God if
I got a human man involved. So because of my
purpose and because of my plan, I have you in
(08:31):
an impossible situation. But don't let your focus, Mary, be
on the impossibility of the situation. Let your focus be
on my word. Not any word that I say will
be impossible with God. Why is God's word powerful Because God,
(09:00):
God guarantees it. And because God guarantees his word, and
because God.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Is all powerful, God's.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Word is absolutely effective. Now, God's word is so effective
that it cannot be thwarted in terms of it accomplishing
its goal. We saw that in Isaiah fifty five. It
will always accomplish its goal. Now, I don't care what
(09:34):
you try to do to stop it. I don't care
what you try to do to hinder it. Be assured,
the outcome is not in doubt our God, who has
all power when he speaks his word to accomplish all
that he has set forth to do, even when it
(09:56):
looks like it's not working.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Because the enemy has throw on what appears to be
a curve ball.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Let me tell you about curveballs thrown at God. The
reason why curveballs can't work when they're thrown at God
is because they're thrown a God. You see, God is omniscient.
God knows what was, what is, what will be, and
what could have been. He knows all the possibilities. You say,
(10:27):
But then, why does it look like sometimes God's way
is not winning? Because God has allowed, in the.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Process of accomplishing his.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Word, human decision making. That is a reality. He doesn't
just pretend that you have a human will and an
ability to make a human decision. He guarantees that your
human decisions will be incorporated into his divine program. Now,
it won't determine the program, because his word will accomplish
his will. He will accomplish his goal. His word is sure.
(11:02):
What he says is that his word is sure. His
word is.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Affected, and doctor Evans will take a look at creation
itself as living proof of that power when he returns
in just a moment. Now, if you've been encouraged by
what you've heard so far today, I hope you'll take
a moment to check out the full length version of
this message and even more importantly, the complete ten parts
series it comes from. It's called The Glory of God's Word,
(11:29):
and in it, Tony takes a deep dive into the power, purpose,
and authority of scripture. And right now we're offering the
entire collection on both digital download as well as on
either CD or USB flash drive. There are thank you
gifts when you support the Alternative with a financial contribution,
plus for a limited time, we're also including a powerful
(11:51):
companion book from Tony called The Transforming Word, designed to
help you not just read the Bible, but receive it
in a way that change is your life. Visit Tonyevans
dot org today for the details, or call us at
one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two to
make your request. That's one eight hundred eight hundred three
(12:13):
two two two. We'll get back to more from doctor
Evans right after this.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
I urge you to take this course.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Doctor Craig Evans, renowned expert on the New Testament, serves
as the special guest lecturer for the Tony Evans Training
Center course on the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Bible.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
That covers very important ground what they are and what they're.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Not one of the most significant archaeological finds of the
twentieth century. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide unparalleled insights into
the accuracy of the Bible. These ancient manuscripts offer a
treasure trove of historical and spiritual significance.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They preserve for us the Hebrew Bible and shed light
on the teaching of Jesus and the major contributors to
the New Testament.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
The scrolls open a vivid window into the life and
beliefs of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
You will understand the Bible and Jesus Christian origins better
than you ever had before.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
Take your first step as an honorary amateur archaeologist. Dive
into the Dead Sea Scrolls with special guest lecturer, doctor
Craig Evans. Discover this and other fascinating Biblical studies at
Tony Evans Training dot Org. Explore the Kingdom anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
If you doubt the power of God's word, the only
thing you have to analyze is creation. For example, the
Psalmist says in Psalm thirty three, he says, in verse
six and verse nine, these words by the word of
(13:39):
the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath
of His might all their hosts verse nine. For he
spoke and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast.
Now that's power. Because his word is powerful. It has
the ability to create. It not only creates. But look
(14:04):
at what Hebrews Chapter one, verse three says, and he, Jesus,
is the radiance of his God's glory. That is, he's
the manifestation of God and the exact representation of his nature.
Let me throw in a little parenthesis. What that means
(14:26):
is Jesus is God. You cannot be an exact replica
of God without being God. But look at it says
It says and upholds all things by the word of
his power. God's word not only creates, but according to
this verse, God's word that creates also sustains. In other words,
(14:50):
what he brings into being, he keeps in the being
until he doesn't want it in the being anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
So God deserves what he creates. Is not a good news.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
About your salvation. Reason you can't lose your salvation is
what he creates or recreates, he keeps. That's why John
ten says, nobody can pluck you out of my hands
because it's my hand. When Mary was told she was
gonna have a baby the first time, she said, that's
(15:26):
not possible. God says, Oh, there's nothing that's not possible
with me. The next verse after that, verse thirty eight,
she says, whatever you say, she said, I'm gonna go
with your word. It doesn't make sense. Can't explain it.
No medical doctor can advise me on this. But I'm
(15:47):
gonna go with your word. She submitted to what God
had said, the power of the word. But look at
a great verse in this regard Hebrews chapter four twelve.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
For the Word of God is living.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And active, and sharper than any two edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
and both joints and marrow, and able to judge the
thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no
creature hidden from his sight. But all things are open
(16:30):
and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom
we have to do.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
He says. The Word of God is alive.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
In other words, the Bible is not dead words on
a page, it says, It is a living, breathing document.
It says, and the spirit of God hovered over the waters.
The earth was without forming, but the spirit of God
hoovered over it and animated it. Well, what the spirit
(17:05):
of God did with creation, he does with God's word.
He hangs over it and breathes life into it. So
that you're not reading the Bible like you're reading a novel.
You're not reading the Bible like you're reading a history book.
You're reading the Bible for it to take on life.
(17:25):
And it can take it on because it already possesses it.
How do you know when the Bible is becoming alive
to you? It's already alive, But how how do you
know when when that life is taking on life in
your experience?
Speaker 3 (17:41):
It's simple, It's gonna cut you.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
It says, the Word of God is living, active, and
sharper than any two d sword. The word active means powerful,
So it's alive and it's powerful, and it's got a
double edge. It cuts you both ways. It is sharper
(18:05):
than a two edged sword. Now, Romans had a two
edged sword. It was sharp on both sides. So if
they stabbed you with the sword, it would penetrate you,
it would enter you, it would cut you, it would
be sharp. You would die from the incision. It was
a two edged sword, so the whole sword would enter
(18:26):
into you and you would be totally penetrated and separated
at the point of entry, he says. If you think
that's something, let me show you a sword. He says,
the Bible is so alive and so powerful that when
it penetrates the life of the believer, it can divide
(18:52):
soul from spirit. Now, there's not a sword in the
world you've ever heard of that can do that. A
sharp knife that cuts you can only cut body. It
cannot separate the spiritual you from.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
The personality you. It says.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
The Word of God is so sharp it can keep
you from being confused aby what's you and what's God?
Spirit and soul? It is so sharp. In other words,
what God's word does is spiritual autopsy. It slices you
open to show you what's in the spiritual inside of you.
(19:32):
It opens you up, and he says it like a
two as a sword piercing.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Have you ever been pierced with the Word?
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Has God ever sliced you open with his word, either
reading it or hearing it proclaimed, and you felt exposed?
Speaker 3 (19:51):
You ever felt exposed?
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Have you ever been in church and looked around and
wondered if anybody else.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Knew because you were well.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
That's what the Word of God does. That's the cutting
of the Word of God. It exposes you to you.
It lets you see what God's looking at. It lets
you see what God sees, whether good or bad or ugly.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
The Word of God.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Lays us there because it's alive and it is powerful.
One of the great things you can do is give
God permission to cut you open, to give God permission
to do surgery. Why would you give God permission to
cut you open spiritually.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
The same reason you.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Give a doctor permission to cut you open physically. If
it's a good doctor, and if the doctor cares about you,
he's only gonna cut you to help you. A criminal
is gonna cut you to hurt you. A doctor is
gonna cut you to help you. Giving God permission to
slice you open, it gives him permission to show you
(21:01):
stuff you didn't even know what's in there, to show
you tumors before they have metastasizes, to show you things
to investigate if you will.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It's like an X ray machine.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
An X ray machine shows you the inside you cannot
normally see. An MRI machine lets you see the inside
you couldn't normally see.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Why to expose what's really there.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That's why it says that there is no creature hidden
from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare,
put on the operating table and expose, giving God the right.
This idea of separating the soul and the spirit and
the joints and the marrow comes from this concept of winnowing.
(21:51):
Winnowing where the shaft would be separated from the grain,
the worthless would be broken off and thrown away, and
that which had substance and significance would remain. Or what
God is saying is I want to slice you open
so we can get rid of the stuff that doesn't
belong and keep the stuff that has value. Because right
now you got both of them all mixed up together,
(22:13):
and we've got to separate them so that that which
has eternal benefit continues to operate with you. So what's
the point. The point is simply that what God wants
to do with his word is show you his power.
Through his word, you will come to see Him in
ways that you could not come to see him otherwise.
(22:34):
To try to operate with God apart from his word
is to operate with.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
God apart from his power.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Sure there's prayer, Sure there's dependency on the Holy Spirit,
but they all go back to the veracity, truthfulness, and
power of His word.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Doctor Tony Evans reminding us that God's power is unleashed
when we align our lives with the truth of His word.
And he'll return with one final illustration to wrap up
today's message in just a moment. But first, don't miss
your chance to get Tony's powerful ten part series The
Glory of God's Word, along with his insightful book, The
(23:13):
Transforming Word. This is a limited time offer and both
resources are Yours is our thank you gift when you
support the Ministry of the Alternative. Visit us today at
Tonyevans dot org to make your request, or call one
eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two to speak
with a member of our resource team. Again, that's Tonyevans
(23:35):
dot org or by phone at one eight hundred eight
hundred three two two two. In a world overflowing with advice,
it's easy to overlook the one source that actually works. Tomorrow,
Doctor Evans will explain how scripture gives us wisdom, joy
and direction, meeting our deepest needs with divine sufficiency. Right
(23:58):
now though he's back with this closing of the for today.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
You've noticed on TV then showing soldiers looking through the
night goggles, seeing the enemy in the darkness.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
That's what the Word of God is.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It is able to let you see things you can't
normally see, because God can show you what's happening at
night in your heart and in your life.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
The Word of God is powerful.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
The Word of God is active, and he will give
you the ability to.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Have victory even at night, because.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
He will show you what you need to see so
that you can deal with what you need to deal with.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Because this word has power.
Why is God's word powerful Because God guarantees it.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Doctor Tony Evans says, God's promises don't depend on odds,
They rest on His omnipotence.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
And because God is all powerful, God's word is absolutely effective.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. There's no doubt
that words hold power. They can leave a mark on
us for better or worse. But when it comes to
God's Word, that mark can go even deeper. It has
the power to cut through confusion and reveal what's true
(00:41):
in our lives.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Today.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Doctor Evans explains how scripture penetrates our hearts with the
ability to bring lasting transformation. Let's join him as he.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Explains Isaiah fifty five, verse eleven. It says, so shall
my word be, which goeth forth from my mouth, It
shall not return to me empty without accomplishing what I desire,
and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
(01:13):
He makes a statement here about the Word of God
that it is powerful. What do we mean by the
Word of God being powerful when we say that the
Word of God is powerful?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
What we're saying is that it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Accomplishes its designated purpose. In other words, it's not just
random power. It's not power out of control. It is
not power without purpose. It is purpose for power. Seven
times in the first chapter of Genesis, God spoke the word.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Let there let there be life.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
And I like the way it ends, it says, and
it was so, let's see let the water be separated
from the land, And it was so.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
God's word is so powerful.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
That it can bring about whatever God's will is. Because
God stands behind his word. All of us have in
our homes electrical outlets. Those electrical outlets are for your
appliances so they can plug in and do whatever they
(02:35):
were created to do. Lights come on, refrigerators come on, toasters,
work can open, electric can openers can open cans.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
All of that. All around your house.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
There are electrical outlets designed to give power so that
an appliance can fulfill its created reason for me. But
the power is not in the outlet. All the outlet
does is give you a contact point for the power
(03:09):
to reach the purpose. The purpose is in the appliance.
The outlet is the contact point, but the power is
in the plant. It is a power plant providing to
your home and my home. Electrical power coming through electrical outlets,
so electrical appliances can fulfill that purpose. What God has
(03:34):
done in his word is giving you and I a
contact point, a point where the physical realm can make
contact with the spiritual realm.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
In words we can understand.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
But the power is not in the appliance or the
one receiving it, nor is the power simply in pieces
of paper stitched together in a book. The power is
that there is a God behind the word, who stands
behind what he says, and thus his word is powerful,
(04:10):
like you would view the outlet as being powerful, because
it is the conduit to introduce the supernatural power of
God to our functioning as people in history. There's a
little verse I want you to notice in Luke Chapter one.
Luke chapter one, God has told Mary she's gonna have
(04:36):
a baby. Now, this is blowing her mind because this
is not humanly possible. She wants to know, how is
this possible. She's never been intimate, she's a virgin, so
this is an impossible situation. And not get pregnant, he
(05:04):
says in verse thirty six. And behold, even your relative
Elizabeth has also conceived the son in her old age,
that was another impossibility. And she who was called Baron
is now in her six months. So before we ever
talk about your problem, Merrick, let me tell you about
your relative Elizabeth. Your relative Elizabeth has gone all of
(05:28):
her life without the ability to conceive. Now she's too
old to conceive, but yet she's six months pregnant. So
first of all, I want to let you know you're
not the only one I'm working with that. I got
stuff I'm doing all over the place, including in your
own family. But I know you're probably saying, but yeah,
(05:50):
it's one thing for a woman to have a husband
and get pregnant, even though it was impossible for her
to get pregnant. Yeah, we'll call that a mini miracle.
But what you're talking about now is a maxim miracle
because I have not been intimate. God then says to
(06:11):
her an astounding phrase.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
In verse thirty seven, He says.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
For nothing will be impossible with God. Now I want
to say a word about the word nothing. Somebody say nothing.
Some of you have in your bibles a note. Some
bibles have it, some don't, some even translated this way.
(06:40):
But the word nothing in verse thirty seven literally means
not any word. So if we were to put that
phrase in where the word nothing is what God literally
says is not any word will be imposs for God,
(07:01):
let me translate what he's saying. He's saying, I just
told you, girlfriend that you're gonna have a baby. I
know you a virgin. We won't it that way. I
know you have never been intimate. But this is not
a normal situation. You're gonna give birth to.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
The son of God.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
In fact, he told him you shall call his name
Jesus in verse thirty one, and he will be great
verse thirty two. He will be called the son of
the Most High, the Lord God will give him the
throne of David. He will reign over the House of
Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end. And that's
when she says, but how can this be. I'm a virgin,
(07:48):
she says, in verse thirty four, this cannot be. God's
point was, no, No, you're not listening. I'm working out
a plan. This is part of a program. I even
have the details. I'm gonna tell you what you're gonna
name it. I'm gonna tell you what he's gonna do.
(08:09):
I'm gonna tell you what he's gonna be. And in
order to pull this off, I need a virgin. He's
got to be the son of God and the son
of man. He can't be the son of God if
I got a human man involved. So because of my
purpose and because of my plan, I have you in
(08:31):
an impossible situation. But don't let your focus, Mary, be
on the impossibility of the situation. Let your focus be
on my word. Not any word that I say will
be impossible with God. Why is God's word powerful Because God,
(09:00):
God guarantees it. And because God guarantees his word, and
because God.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Is all powerful, God's.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Word is absolutely effective. Now, God's word is so effective
that it cannot be thwarted in terms of it accomplishing
its goal. We saw that in Isaiah fifty five. It
will always accomplish its goal. Now, I don't care what
(09:34):
you try to do to stop it. I don't care
what you try to do to hinder it. Be assured,
the outcome is not in doubt our God, who has
all power when he speaks his word to accomplish all
that he has set forth to do, even when it
(09:56):
looks like it's not working.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Because the enemy has throw on what appears to be
a curve ball.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Let me tell you about curveballs thrown at God. The
reason why curveballs can't work when they're thrown at God
is because they're thrown a God. You see, God is omniscient.
God knows what was, what is, what will be, and
what could have been. He knows all the possibilities. You say,
(10:27):
But then, why does it look like sometimes God's way
is not winning? Because God has allowed, in the.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Process of accomplishing his.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Word, human decision making. That is a reality. He doesn't
just pretend that you have a human will and an
ability to make a human decision. He guarantees that your
human decisions will be incorporated into his divine program. Now,
it won't determine the program, because his word will accomplish
his will. He will accomplish his goal. His word is sure.
(11:02):
What he says is that his word is sure. His
word is.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Affected, and doctor Evans will take a look at creation
itself as living proof of that power when he returns
in just a moment. Now, if you've been encouraged by
what you've heard so far today, I hope you'll take
a moment to check out the full length version of
this message and even more importantly, the complete ten parts
series it comes from. It's called The Glory of God's Word,
(11:29):
and in it, Tony takes a deep dive into the power, purpose,
and authority of scripture. And right now we're offering the
entire collection on both digital download as well as on
either CD or USB flash drive. There are thank you
gifts when you support the Alternative with a financial contribution,
plus for a limited time, we're also including a powerful
(11:51):
companion book from Tony called The Transforming Word, designed to
help you not just read the Bible, but receive it
in a way that change is your life. Visit Tonyevans
dot org today for the details, or call us at
one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two to
make your request. That's one eight hundred eight hundred three
(12:13):
two two two. We'll get back to more from doctor
Evans right after this.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
I urge you to take this course.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Doctor Craig Evans, renowned expert on the New Testament, serves
as the special guest lecturer for the Tony Evans Training
Center course on the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Bible.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
That covers very important ground what they are and what they're.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Not one of the most significant archaeological finds of the
twentieth century. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide unparalleled insights into
the accuracy of the Bible. These ancient manuscripts offer a
treasure trove of historical and spiritual significance.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They preserve for us the Hebrew Bible and shed light
on the teaching of Jesus and the major contributors to
the New Testament.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
The scrolls open a vivid window into the life and
beliefs of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
You will understand the Bible and Jesus Christian origins better
than you ever had before.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
Take your first step as an honorary amateur archaeologist. Dive
into the Dead Sea Scrolls with special guest lecturer, doctor
Craig Evans. Discover this and other fascinating Biblical studies at
Tony Evans Training dot Org. Explore the Kingdom anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
If you doubt the power of God's word, the only
thing you have to analyze is creation. For example, the
Psalmist says in Psalm thirty three, he says, in verse
six and verse nine, these words by the word of
(13:39):
the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath
of His might all their hosts verse nine. For he
spoke and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast.
Now that's power. Because his word is powerful. It has
the ability to create. It not only creates. But look
(14:04):
at what Hebrews Chapter one, verse three says, and he, Jesus,
is the radiance of his God's glory. That is, he's
the manifestation of God and the exact representation of his nature.
Let me throw in a little parenthesis. What that means
(14:26):
is Jesus is God. You cannot be an exact replica
of God without being God. But look at it says
It says and upholds all things by the word of
his power. God's word not only creates, but according to
this verse, God's word that creates also sustains. In other words,
(14:50):
what he brings into being, he keeps in the being
until he doesn't want it in the being anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
So God deserves what he creates. Is not a good news.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
About your salvation. Reason you can't lose your salvation is
what he creates or recreates, he keeps. That's why John
ten says, nobody can pluck you out of my hands
because it's my hand. When Mary was told she was
gonna have a baby the first time, she said, that's
(15:26):
not possible. God says, Oh, there's nothing that's not possible
with me. The next verse after that, verse thirty eight,
she says, whatever you say, she said, I'm gonna go
with your word. It doesn't make sense. Can't explain it.
No medical doctor can advise me on this. But I'm
(15:47):
gonna go with your word. She submitted to what God
had said, the power of the word. But look at
a great verse in this regard Hebrews chapter four twelve.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
For the Word of God is living.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And active, and sharper than any two edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
and both joints and marrow, and able to judge the
thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no
creature hidden from his sight. But all things are open
(16:30):
and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom
we have to do.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
He says. The Word of God is alive.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
In other words, the Bible is not dead words on
a page, it says, It is a living, breathing document.
It says, and the spirit of God hovered over the waters.
The earth was without forming, but the spirit of God
hoovered over it and animated it. Well, what the spirit
(17:05):
of God did with creation, he does with God's word.
He hangs over it and breathes life into it. So
that you're not reading the Bible like you're reading a novel.
You're not reading the Bible like you're reading a history book.
You're reading the Bible for it to take on life.
(17:25):
And it can take it on because it already possesses it.
How do you know when the Bible is becoming alive
to you? It's already alive, But how how do you
know when when that life is taking on life in
your experience?
Speaker 3 (17:41):
It's simple, It's gonna cut you.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
It says, the Word of God is living, active, and
sharper than any two d sword. The word active means powerful,
So it's alive and it's powerful, and it's got a
double edge. It cuts you both ways. It is sharper
(18:05):
than a two edged sword. Now, Romans had a two
edged sword. It was sharp on both sides. So if
they stabbed you with the sword, it would penetrate you,
it would enter you, it would cut you, it would
be sharp. You would die from the incision. It was
a two edged sword, so the whole sword would enter
(18:26):
into you and you would be totally penetrated and separated
at the point of entry, he says. If you think
that's something, let me show you a sword. He says,
the Bible is so alive and so powerful that when
it penetrates the life of the believer, it can divide
(18:52):
soul from spirit. Now, there's not a sword in the
world you've ever heard of that can do that. A
sharp knife that cuts you can only cut body. It
cannot separate the spiritual you from.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
The personality you. It says.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
The Word of God is so sharp it can keep
you from being confused aby what's you and what's God?
Spirit and soul? It is so sharp. In other words,
what God's word does is spiritual autopsy. It slices you
open to show you what's in the spiritual inside of you.
(19:32):
It opens you up, and he says it like a
two as a sword piercing.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Have you ever been pierced with the Word?
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Has God ever sliced you open with his word, either
reading it or hearing it proclaimed, and you felt exposed?
Speaker 3 (19:51):
You ever felt exposed?
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Have you ever been in church and looked around and
wondered if anybody else.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Knew because you were well.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
That's what the Word of God does. That's the cutting
of the Word of God. It exposes you to you.
It lets you see what God's looking at. It lets
you see what God sees, whether good or bad or ugly.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
The Word of God.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Lays us there because it's alive and it is powerful.
One of the great things you can do is give
God permission to cut you open, to give God permission
to do surgery. Why would you give God permission to
cut you open spiritually.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
The same reason you.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Give a doctor permission to cut you open physically. If
it's a good doctor, and if the doctor cares about you,
he's only gonna cut you to help you. A criminal
is gonna cut you to hurt you. A doctor is
gonna cut you to help you. Giving God permission to
slice you open, it gives him permission to show you
(21:01):
stuff you didn't even know what's in there, to show
you tumors before they have metastasizes, to show you things
to investigate if you will.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It's like an X ray machine.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
An X ray machine shows you the inside you cannot
normally see. An MRI machine lets you see the inside
you couldn't normally see.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Why to expose what's really there.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That's why it says that there is no creature hidden
from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare,
put on the operating table and expose, giving God the right.
This idea of separating the soul and the spirit and
the joints and the marrow comes from this concept of winnowing.
(21:51):
Winnowing where the shaft would be separated from the grain,
the worthless would be broken off and thrown away, and
that which had substance and significance would remain. Or what
God is saying is I want to slice you open
so we can get rid of the stuff that doesn't
belong and keep the stuff that has value. Because right
now you got both of them all mixed up together,
(22:13):
and we've got to separate them so that that which
has eternal benefit continues to operate with you. So what's
the point. The point is simply that what God wants
to do with his word is show you his power.
Through his word, you will come to see Him in
ways that you could not come to see him otherwise.
(22:34):
To try to operate with God apart from his word
is to operate with.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
God apart from his power.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Sure there's prayer, Sure there's dependency on the Holy Spirit,
but they all go back to the veracity, truthfulness, and
power of His word.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Doctor Tony Evans reminding us that God's power is unleashed
when we align our lives with the truth of His word.
And he'll return with one final illustration to wrap up
today's message in just a moment. But first, don't miss
your chance to get Tony's powerful ten part series The
Glory of God's Word, along with his insightful book, The
(23:13):
Transforming Word. This is a limited time offer and both
resources are Yours is our thank you gift when you
support the Ministry of the Alternative. Visit us today at
Tonyevans dot org to make your request, or call one
eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two to speak
with a member of our resource team. Again, that's Tonyevans
(23:35):
dot org or by phone at one eight hundred eight
hundred three two two two. In a world overflowing with advice,
it's easy to overlook the one source that actually works. Tomorrow,
Doctor Evans will explain how scripture gives us wisdom, joy
and direction, meeting our deepest needs with divine sufficiency. Right
(23:58):
now though he's back with this closing of the for today.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
You've noticed on TV then showing soldiers looking through the
night goggles, seeing the enemy in the darkness.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
That's what the Word of God is.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It is able to let you see things you can't
normally see, because God can show you what's happening at
night in your heart and in your life.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
The Word of God is powerful.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
The Word of God is active, and he will give
you the ability to.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Have victory even at night, because.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
He will show you what you need to see so
that you can deal with what you need to deal with.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Because this word has power.
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