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ISAIAH 55:10-11

"GOD'S WORD"

Intro: The prophet uses a common occurrence to illustrate the glory of God's Word.

I. RAIN AND SNOW BOTH COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.
        A. God's Word has come down to us from heaven.
                1. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God."
                2. Holy men of old wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
        B. Beware of those who would challenge these statements. You hear them say.
                1. "The Bible contains God's Word."
                2. "You can't believe all of the Bible."
                3. "The Bible is full of discrepancies and contradictions."
        C. The Bible originated in heaven, it is God's holy, inerrant word to man.

II. RAIN AND SNOW WATER THE EARTH.
        A. Their purpose is fulfilled on earth.
                1. Look at those dry dusty fields. In that dirt lies all kinds of potential.
                        a. That dirt has the latent potential for beauty and glory.
                        b. There is the potential for feeding and helping mankind.
                        c. All it needs is the rain to transform it into life.
                2. Man himself is as dust. It is the stuff of which his body is composed.
                        a. He has the potential for beauty and glory.
                        b. Each person has the potential of unlimited possibilities.
                        c. I am not saying there is a spark of good in every man. I am
                           painfully aware of our sinful nature.
                                1. Man cannot achieve greatness by fanning the inner spark.
                                2. Much better to let the rain drown it.
        B. The power of God's Word to transform a man's life.
                1. From a dry, parched, fruitless field to a lush, verdant garden.
                2. God's Word has transformed lives that men have classified worthless
                   or hopeless.
        C. "Makes it bring forth and bud."
                1. God's Word will cause your life to blossom out.
        D. "To give seed to the sower and bread to the eater."
                1. Its primary effect is in your life, "seed to the sower."
                2. Its ultimate work will be in blessing others, "bread to the eater."

III. "SO SHALL MY WORD BE."
        A. "It shall not return to me void."
                1. "It shall accomplish."
                2. "It shall prosper."
        B. Why did God send His Word?
                1. To reveal Himself.
                2. To bring us faith.
                3. To bring us eternal life.
                4. To free us from sin's dominion.
                5. That we might have fullness of joy.
        C. We are to use the Word.
                1. Don't defend it, use it.
                2. Don't just talk about it, read it.