Word of God?
Word of God?
It's one of those things that they forget to mention when you take a class or workshop on teaching, leading a Bible Study, preaching, etc. and that is to drill it into our minds that it is the Word of God and not of man.
I've been working on this Friday night's youth group talk, and as such, go through the now standard process of preparation: you have a text of Scripture, you have a theme, you have a general outline & main points (usually 3), and then some practical application questions at the end. It's a good structure, a basic skeleton to work off of.
But then, a few hours before I'm to give this talk, I wonder to myself: is this the right passage wants me to speak on? do I have too many points? too few? do I need to add a couple more stories?
And in the midst of all that, God reminds me: it's His Word, not my many words.
This is a bold statement, but Scripture doesn't require me to add my words to it. There's nothing wrong with teaching, preaching, and making plain the meaning of Scripture. But all of the things that can be said about Scripture are only tools, secondary words. God's Word stands on its own, and does not need our explaining, clarifying, and commentary. It's as if somehow, in the midst of learning the "right ways" of preparing a lesson, asking right questions, and preparing a talk, somehow we get the idea that we're "helping God out" by making His Word more understandable, more relevant, and (here's my favorite one to hate) more user-friendly.
We feel like the Word needs our help. That without our help, it's not user-friendly, not relevant, and hard to understand. And while we'll never say this, it's possible to think, "I'm helping the Word along."
Like I said, bold words, but it's a conviction on my heart... that by faith, if I teach the Word of God- simply the Word of God- that the Word itself will pierce the hearts of those who listen. People will inevitably end up forgetting my points or not act on the applications; but the Word will take up root in their hearts. There is power in the Word simply because it is God-breathed; not because I have anything to add to that.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
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