Reverberation - The Word

I read this book during my vacation in Hawaii! It was SO refreshing to me. I have been experiencing discouragement and sin had been deceiving me. It is by Jonathan Leeman! I didn’t even know what this word really meant… haha so it was REALLY NEAT to read the importance of reading, preaching, singing, praying God’s word and echo it back to one another- back and forth among the church and with others! Faith comes by hearing and we are to witness the power of God and salvation! Here are more points that convicted me of my timidity and statements that exhorted me in Christ.

Gods Word Invites and Divides
People will either listen or reject (& I have rejected it many times in the past) only the Spirit changes hearts to listen and obey. That is so comforting to keep in mind while sharing. We don’t need to water it down! We (definitely me included) fear man, have wrong priorities and underestimate its importance. When speaking, speak of a good and holy God, the predicament of our corruption and guilt, God’s just wrath. This is about a King who came to reintroduce his life giving rule in lives of a new people by living and dying for their sake, bearing the penalty for their sin, and then conquering death through His resurrection. Invite them to confess that Jesus is this Lord to trust entirely in His finished work on the cross and to follow Him. The messenger is beautiful because it brings good news, peace, and proclaims reign of Christ and salvation!

The Word Acts
He identifies and invests himself in his words. Our response to it is our response to him. The bible holds His purposes, affections, power. It expresses conviction, desire and goal. It's part of our fallen nature to as we love him but give no heed to it. Don't be tempted to separate God from the bible. We can encounter and commune with god through communication. He creates, sustains, establishes and breaks relationships. His invisible words create visible matter. They listen and obey. He re-creates fallen hearts with words. God acts through his word by his spirit. Our words are unreliable unstable and untrustworthy while gods words has its intended effect. It doesn't fail, it accomplishes and succeeds. Maybe it hardens or softens but it creates life, produces worship, obedience, communion, and disciples. Ask for faith encountering the bible is encountering God.

The Word Frees
Sin is an enslaver!!! It binds the heart to wanting the wrong things, convinces the heart that gods truth is a lie and that sin offers greater pleasure than god. It is our nature which is corrupt, that has deposed God of being God. Humans need a change of nature. They need to be born again, given spiritual insight, and set free. We need divine power. Only the truth of God's word working with the Holy Spirit frees us and joins in joyful conformity to the character of God. Church leaders must set forth gods word plainly. Also, use discretion! Not every opportunity is good to share. In the gathering, giving a lead role to something besides the word risks undermining the gospel- that it is not sufficient for creating unity among sinners, and that other forms of natural unity are just as worthy as gospel unity. This is a mixed message! You're potentially winning them over to their idols. Don't let that separate people from the love of the church. Don't draw nonchristians in by the experience of worship, clothes, humor, intelligence, charisma, relationships, good works, style, ethnic, music. It is not a feeling or movement but it is born of repentance. The holiness and self sacrificial love should be attractive to the world.. A faithful witness in word and deed.

The Word Gathers
We are citizens of the one whom we have confessed as lord and gathering with others to hear about the place we have not seen yet, adopted sins and daughters around the table of the word, sheep following the Shepard toward green pastures, members of a body needing the other parts. The word converts people and adds them to local churches as they long to gather with other believers, appetite to put on Christ's righteousness, and unity with Christ's people. The church gathers for the word. Gods people want to hear from god, his words, to affirm their accountability to it and extend its ministry in one another's lives!