The Word That Works: Anchored by God's Truth

``The ultimate proof that the word works is not merely changed habits or shiny happy people. It is a risen savior. The gospel and the word of God is not self help. It is the announcement that Jesus Christ came in the world into a broken world that lived the life that we couldn't live, died the death that we deserved and rose again to rescue sinners. That's the message if you wanted in a summary. Self help says, you can save yourself if you just do these things. But the gospel and God's word says, you know you can't, so God did. [00:56:54] (40 seconds)  #GospelNotSelfHelp

The word of God doesn't remove every storm in your life. If you came here hoping that that's the message you were going to receive, I'm sorry, but the word of God doesn't take away every storm in your life. It gives you an anchor so that your boat doesn't sink in the middle of every storm in life. It reminds you that God is still sovereign, that Christ is still risen, that truth has not changed, that your suffering isn't meaningless, and your future is secure. That is why Christians throughout all of history have endured. [00:54:19] (33 seconds)  #AnchorInTheStorm

I'm just saying that if you can't find time to dig into God's word, but you have time to read those books, it's not a very good exchange. Human wisdom might adjust behavior for a little while, but the word of God and the spirit of God illuminating it to your life transforms the heart. It doesn't just tell you who you ought to be, how you ought to become like them, how you ought to do what they did. It gives the power to become what you could never become on your own because it's God at work in you. [00:42:00] (37 seconds)  #ScriptureTransforms

One of the greatest evidences that Jesus is who he claimed to be is when a Nepalese person, when a Kenyan person, when a Bolivian person, when an American person can all come to the cross on level ground and be saved by the same Jesus Christ. Unified beyond our, you know, desires or the things that we like or the towns that we live in. You gotta know you're not running this race alone. You are running with generations of believers from all over the world who have endured before you and alongside of you. [00:49:14] (41 seconds)  #GlobalChristianUnity

Empires have risen and fallen and borders have changed. Languages have changed. Cultures change. But for thousands of years, the anchoring truth of what God says has continued producing transformed people who love Jesus and endure suffering. What else creates a unity like that? Listen, we all may like the same kind of food. We may all dislike the same kinds of things. We all may have certain proclivities, but nothing creates a unity like Jesus. [00:49:55] (39 seconds)  #JesusUnitesUs

And when we receive it as it is, the word of God, not just as a suggestion of men, it'll change us. We will see things for what they really are. It'll give us a perspective that we've, by the way, always needed and longed for and looked for, and it's here. Because finally, we have an unchanging truth to guide us that is unaffected by trends, that is unaffected by emotions, that's unaffected by how loud someone says the thing. It's unaffected by all of the changing stuff around us. It is not just an add on or self help. You know, human words can inspire you for a moment, but only God's word can truly change you from the inside out. [00:41:10] (44 seconds)  #UnchangingTruth

The kings of this earth have spoken and philosophers have tried to explain life. Influencers have tried to show you what life is supposed to look like evidently. Politicians have tried to use the thoughts of men to control the world and self help gurus have written endlessly. Most of their words faded just as quickly as they arrived, but the word of God is still changing lives. It's still pointing to the savior. It's still strengthening believers. It's still uniting the church. It's still sustaining suffering saints. There is a word that works and it begins with what the word is pointing to the main character, which is Jesus. [00:56:09] (45 seconds)  #WordPointsToJesus

There's only one word that works, that's true, that's right, that doesn't change, and it's the unchanging word of God. Because that God is unlike the authors of those quotes and claims. See, they only have a sliver window perspective into how the world works. They only see what they've seen or heard or learned. God has a timeless overall perspective as the creator of it all. And so when he says something like, this is the way this is, guess what? This is the way this is. [00:40:34] (35 seconds)  #TimelessDivineWisdom