What Does 
The Bible Say?
 

Using The Word To Witness And Minister
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    We have come to live in the age of science and modern technical knowledge and many people have come to believe that the Bible is out dated.  Even many churches and ministers have come to believe that science, reason, and psychology have left the Word of God in the dust of ages gone past.  Some have come to say that you can't use the Bible to witness any more because people have come to believe that it is just a fairy tale.  Many have come to say if you don't have a degree in secular psychology, then you are not qualified to give counsel to anyone.  However, what does the Bible say?  The Bible, itself, foretells of just such a time.  "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it" (Amos 8:11-12). Indeed, there is an absence of the Word, but that just means it is all the more needed.  It also means that many are SEEKING for the Truth and not yet found it.  Yes, there are those who will laugh and make of the Bible and those who attempt to share it.  It has always been that way and will always be that way until the earth passes away.  However, that does not negate the truth that there are also those who are seeking for the truth and will receive the Word when it is shared with them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

    We should remember who is the enemy of the Word.  In the beginning, Satan questioned the Word.  "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"  (Genesis 3:1).  Satan, knowing the power of the Word has come to steal it away.  "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side"  (Matthew 13:19).  "And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts"  (Mark 4:15).  "Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved"  (Luke 8:12).

    Satan is also the one who BLINDS the mind of people to the Word of God.  "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them"  (II Corinthians 4:3-4).  However, the case is not a total loss.  God delegates authority to Believers to bind the strong man.  "Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house"  (Matthew 12:29).  "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven"  (Matthew 18:18).  SEE: "Salvation Through Binding"
Jesus also said, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force"  (Matthew 11:12).  We are to NOT to be passive, but aggressive in sharing the Word.   Paul wrote, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake"  (I Thessalonians 1:5).  It is to be more than just written words on a page.  We are to share it with power.  It is "The Anointing That Breaks The Yoke".

    The Word of God also has power within itself.  "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"  (Jeremiah 23:29).  "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it"  (Isaiah 55:11).  "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions"  (Psalms 107:20).  "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"  (Romans 1:16).  "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"  (Hebrews 4:12).  Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life"  (John 6:63).

    Furthermore, without the Word there only a general revelation of God which man rejects.  "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"  (Romans 1:18-20).  "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" (Romans 3:9-11).

    No man come to God except through Jesus. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"  (Acts 4:12).  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me"  (John 14:6).  SEE: "Who Is This Jesus".   General revelation is not sufficient!  "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"  (Romans 10:-14-17).

    Both Jesus and the apostles often raised questions that drew people back to the Word.  Look at the following verses for a few examples.

"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"  (Matthew 21:42).

"But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living"  (Matthew 22:31-32).

"For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness"  (Romans 4:3).

"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach"  (Romans 10:8).

"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying"  (Romans 11:2).

"Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman"  (Galatians 4:30).

"Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?"  (James 4:5).

The Scriptures can be used many different ways:

A.  First, the Law is used to bring people to the knowledge of sin.

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God"  (Romans 3:19).  "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound"  (Romans 5:20).  "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet"  (Romans 7:7).  In other words, the Law was to show man the NEED for Christ.   "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith"  (Galatians 3:24).
B. Second, the GOSPEL is to be proclaimed.
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God"  (I Corinthians 1:23-24).

"A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God"  (Luke 8:5,11).

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"  (Matthew 28:18-19).

C.  Third, the presentation of the Gospel paves way for an individual to receive the Word and experience for the new birth.
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever"  (I Peter 1:23).

"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures"  (James 1:18).

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God"  (I Corinthians 1:18).
 

D. Fourth, the Word also provides growth and maturity.
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"  (Matthew 4:4).

"For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe"  (Hebrews 5:13).

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also"  (II Timothy 2:2).

E. Fifth, the Word provides a means of saving the soul.
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls"  (James 1:21).  This is saving the mind from thinking the wrong thoughts, the will from making the wrong decisions, and the emotions from being out of control.
F. Sixth, it is our responsibility to share the Word or to sow the seed.
"The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD"  (Jeremiah 23:28).  Remember that the sower doesn't seem to always know what kind of soil he is sowing on because he sows on four different kinds of soil and only one is good soil.

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:20).

"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will" (II Timothy 2:25-26).

"And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul"  (Ezekiel 3:16-21).

Notes:

1. We are to hear the Word of the Lord.
2. We are to warn the wicked or the person who has turned away from God.
3. If we fail to warn others of the judgment of God, then we stand guilty before God.
4. If we warn others and they refuse to hear, then we are free from guilt.
5. If we warn others and they turn to God, then we delivered the individual.
G. Seventh, the Word is a means of spiritual warfare.
"And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone"  (Matthew 4:6).

"Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God"  (Matthew 4:7).

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"  (Matthew 4:10).

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"  (Ephesians 6:17).

H. Eight, it is God's responsibility to bring the harvest.
"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God"  (II Corinthians 9:10-11).
Ministry