THUS SAITH THE LORD | UNCAGING THE WORD

Series: “Thus Saith The Lord” Sermon: “Uncaging The Word.”

4 Basic Forms of Revelation
1.General Revelation – Nature 2. Specific Revelation – Jesus 
3.Spirit Revelation — Holy Spirit. 4. Biblical Revelation — Word

The Bible was not given to man so that he could fix his story.
The Bible is His story and how you can find your place in it.
You don’t find 10 steps to a better life in the Bible. 
You get to read about a God who through His Son took 10,000 steps to get to you.

John 5:39-40 (Message) “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”

The Bible:  
2 Testaments - Old and New / 66 Books 31,102 Verses / 1663 Commands 40 Different Authors 
3237 Different characters. / 31 guys named “Zechariah.” / 1 STORY

SO IMPORTANT:
John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
New Will, the Old one is null and void. Will comes into affect at my death.
Jesus died and lives to enforce His will.

If you’re serious about the Bible as the Word of God then you have to let it speak.
The Bible says the clearest form of communication is Jesus.
Mount of transfiguration … Moes and Elijah disappeared and Jesus only. “Listen to Him.”
“Sola Scriptura” (reformation) misapplied leads to a powerless church.

The Word was never meant to be trapped on a page. It was meant to become alive in you.
When the living Word is heard in your heart the letter becomes a doorway instead of a cold tool.
A proof text to bludgeon with.

John 10:37-38 “If I’m not doing the beautiful works that my Father sent me to do, then don’t believe me. But if you see me doing the beautiful works of God upon the earth, then you should at least believe the evidence of the miracles, even if you don’t believe my words! Then you would come to experience me and be convinced that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

Reducing “the Word” to “the Bible” is too small.
Scripture is witness. Christ is Word made flesh.
The page can testify. The Spirit must illuminate.
The letter can point. The living God must speak.

Scripture was never given: 
To replace the voice of God. To end personal encounter. To reduce relationship to reading.
Scripture was given: 
To reveal Christ. To sharpen discernment. To anchor in truth. To protect from deception.
So Scripture is not the enemy of encounter. It is the framework that keeps encounter pure.

There is a misunderstanding that it is our responsibility to be the pursuer in our relationship with God.
God is always and forever engaged in an passionate pursuit of us.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;”
raw-daf':— pursue, chase, hunt, follow
Genesis 14:14 “and went in pursuit”. FIRST USE
“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts”  “Always, everywhere God is present, and always He seeks to discover Himself to each one”  A.W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God)

William Barclay’s commentary describes these two guys on the road as, “ones withfaces twisted by grief” 

Luke 24:13-35 “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.  So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.  And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”
Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”
And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,  and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 
Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.  When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.”

What Jesus does on that road is not just explain Scripture.
He DECONSTRUCTS THEIR VERSION OF GOD. 
This is where many people resist. Because we don’t mind learning.
But we do mind LOSING THE VERSION OF GOD THAT MAKES US COMFORTABLE. 

1. He Joins Himself To Us
“He drew near” engidzo-— to join one thing to another. (Gorilla Glue)
He has chosen to forever be in union with humanity.
Paul used this phrase in one form or another 164 times. “In Christ”

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

2. He Journeys With Us
The process of getting there. The changes. The challenges.
ENGAGES — “Why so sad?” INSTRUCTS — “Shows Us Himself” Even when you think you’re alone.

3. He Restores Us
“so they returned to Jerusalem”
God is committed to putting Humpty Dumpty together again. He refuses to leave you broken.
Jesus could have ended the whole conversation in seconds.

 He could have said: “It’s me” and everything would have been resolved instantly.
But He doesn’t. Why?
Because nothing changes when there’s: 
INFORMATION without TRANSFORMATION
EXPLORATION without ENCOUNTER

Luke 24:36 “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’” 
You announcing your story of recovery will cause Jesus to show up for others.