That means it is alive! It is the living Word. Life springs up from it. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever,” 1 Peter 1:23.
(A sapling germinated 2005 from a 2,000-year-old date palm seed, found at Masada in 1973 and which lay in a drawer until planted in 2005, is thriving, according to Israeli researchers who are cultivating the historic plant.)
The word must be planted by the hand of God in the heart before it will take root and grow. “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people,” Jeremiah 31:33.
Such a person is easily known.“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart,” Psalm 40:8. The true Christians begins to GROW to look and act like the Lord!
A message preached in Garvagh Free Presbyterian Church, Lord’s Day evening, October 1st, 2017 by Rev Ivan Foster.
“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: 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 28:18-20.
Was there ever a farewell of more significance than this? “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” said Shakespeare. That which added sweetness to the sorrow the disciples felt were these final words of the Lord Jesus.
It is very obvious that He was very conscious of their timorous, doubting state and He spoke to them accordingly. They would have been most fearful as they faced the future, given the tidal wave of opposition and hatred they had encountered. His words were aimed at allaying those fears.
I. CONSIDER THE POWER OF THE LORD JESUS
1. He speaks of it as a ‘given’ power’. Of course, such power was the Saviour’s by right but He had laid aside his glory and undertook the humility of a servant in order to redeem his people, Php 2:6-10; Mark 16:19; Rev 5:12-14; Eph 1:17-22.
2. His power is equivalent to omnipotence. The origins of this word simply means “all power”!
3. His is the power of God. It is all power “in heaven and in earth!” There is no power that can resist Christ! The power manifested in the Flood, in Egypt, in the judgment of Korah, in the resurrection of Lazarus and especially in His own resurrection.
4. Christ has power where man feels he rules supreme. Dan 4:17, 25. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will,” Proverbs 21:1. “He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty,” Job 12:19.
5. There is no realm where Christ’s power is not exercised. “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases,” Luke 9:1; Jude 6. “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” Matthew 25:41.
II. LET US CONSIDER HOW CHRIST EXERCISES THAT POWER.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” His power is displayed and exercised chiefly through the preaching of the gospel. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God,” 1 Cor 1:18.
1. It is not through the circus-like antics of modern religion. How many delight in the mere entertainment that is offered in the name of religion! The charismatic, man-centred activities that are shameful.
2. It is through only that taught by the Saviour. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” The Old Testament and the New Testament contain the sum of all doctrine to be taught. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” Isaiah 8:20.
3. We are to preach so as to make disciples, to win souls. “Teaching them to observe.” The word first appears as “keep”, Matt 19:17. It also appears as “watch”, Matt 27:36. That is how YOU should look at the gospel, sinner! And having looked to receive the Word of the gospel.
4. Where there is such preaching there the presence of Christ will be known. “ . . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen,” Matthew 28:20.
May His presence and power accompany His Word tonight and may there be conversions to Christ.
Once more, the Saviour uses a very common happening to illustrate the gospel.
Nature has been so created as to set forth divine truth. How important it must be for us to learn the message of the gospel. There is an echo of the Bible in all of creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard,” Psalms 19:1-3.
Men would remove the authorship of God from creation. Evolutionists deny that God is Creator. This is in order to stifle Creation’s message in just the same fashion as men seek to tamper with the Bible in order to destroy the message of God.
The Saviour Himself is the chief subject of the parable. He is the Sower, and those who preach the gospel are employed by Him in the same task. He is passing today as the seed is sown here amongst us!
