Preserving The Unshakable Word Of God
Preserving The Unshakable Word of God
February 22, 2026, Sunday AM
Text: Hebrews 4:12(NKJ) & John 1:1,14(NKJ)
* This morning, I want to share a word that will serve as a warning, a challenge, and an encouragement.
- We’re living in a day when the Word of God is constantly being reinterpreted, misinterpreted,
deconstructed, and marginalized.
- For many, the Bible is no longer the standard for life and living.
- Opinions and assumptions have replaced the authority of Scripture.
- Some consider it optional . . . Others argue that it isn’t infallible . . . And out of touch.
* Here's what’s happening . . . Truth is being treated like clay!
- It’s shaped, reshaped, and rebranded until it feels comfortable.
- The world wants to make the Word of God negotiable . . . Something you treat like optional
advice . . . Instead of something you live by as your final authority.
* Let me say it plainly . . . Anyone who treats the Word as optional will find their foundation unstable.
- Jesus didn’t say storms might come . . . He said they will come.
- The only real question is this: when the storm hits, will your life be built on something that can
keep you from collapsing?
* Jesus prayed in John 17:16-19(NKJ) They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have
sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be
sanctified by the truth.
- Notice what He didn’t say . . . He didn’t say, Your word is a truth . . . He said, Your word is
truth . . .
- That means we don’t edit the Bible to fit our lives; we surrender our lives to fit the Bible.
* So, this morning, I want to preach a message that’s been heavy on my heart . . .
“Preserving the Unshakable Word of God!”
* Because we need to come back to the Word of God and fully surrender to its power and authority.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even
to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
John 1:1,14(NKJ) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
* In my opinion, the greatest gift we as Christians have received is the Word of God.
- Our text reminds us that the “Word” isn’t just a message . . . It is a Person.
- In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.
- Then John says something that is breathtaking . . . The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
- God didn’t shout instructions from heaven; He stepped into our world and transformed our lives.- He came close enough to be seen, touched, and known.
- Everything we need we can find in the Word of God.
* The Bible is more than a collection of words on a page . . . The Bible is God-Breathed!!
- God’s authority and power are present in every Word.
- It can penetrate into the deepest parts of our lives . . . It can separate truth from fantasy.
- God describes His Word as a seed that will bring life . . . It is a sword that will protect in battle.
- A hammer that will judge right from wrong . . . A fire that will cleanse any that is surrendered to it.
- Multitudes from kings to peasants had had their lives radically changed by the Word.
* Psalm 119:89(NKJ) declares, Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
- That means God’s Word is not up for renegotiation.
- Heaven isn’t holding a committee meeting to decide if righteousness is still righteousness.
- The Word is already settled in God's Kingdom, and if it’s settled in heaven, it must be settled in
our hearts.
* We are watching people treat Scripture like a buffet, taking only what they like and leaving the rest.
- But you can’t crown Jesus as Lord and then demote His Word to optional.
- Jesus ties love and obedience . . . He said in John 14:15(NASB) If you love Me, you will keep
My commandments.
- Not, if you love Me, keep the commandments you agree with.
* The Word isn’t weak or outdated . . . Hebrews 4:12 says it’s "living and powerful."
- That means the Word still convicts, still corrects, still comforts, still moves us because it’s alive.
- It has a pulse . . . It has fire in it.
- Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 20:9(NKJ) Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak
anymore in His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my
bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.( Expound )
* When people say, “Well, I just don’t think the Bible applies anymore,” I want to remind them what
Peter said in 1 Peter 1:23-25(NLT) For you have been born again, but not to a life that will
quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of
God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that
word is the Good News that was preached to you.
* Listen to me this morning . . . Culture changes . . . Trends shift . . . Empires rise and fall.
- But the Word stands when everything else collapses!!!
* So, here’s the first point . . . Stop treating the Word like an accessory . . . Treat it like oxygen.
- Jesus said in Matt 4:4(NKJ) Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
- And Job said in Job 23:12(NKJ) I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I
have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
- That means you don’t just visit the Word . . . You live by it!!!
* Here is a difficult truth . . . If you don’t protect the Word in your life, Something Else Will Replace It!!!
- We all live by a standard . . . If it’s not the Bible, it will be something else . . .
- Feelings, trauma, ideology, popular opinion, bitterness, offense, or just the loudest voice in the
room . . . But none of those voices can save you.
* Proverbs 14:12(NKJ) warns us There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way
of death.
- Seems right . . . Is the language of self-rule . . . But the Kingdom is built on surrender.
- When we reject God’s Word as our authority, we don’t become free . . . We become vulnerable.
- This is why the enemy fights us concerning the Bible.
- He’ll fight your attention . . . He’ll fight your consistency . . . He’ll fight your hunger.
- And now he is creating enormous confusion.
- Because he knows . . . A Word-filled believer is a dangerous believer!!
* Psalm 119:11(NKJ) says, Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
- If the Word isn’t hidden in you, temptation will find a home in you.
- But when the Word is stored up . . . When it’s treasured . . . When it’s internalized . . . When we
make it our guide, the final authority, submitting to its message . . .
- Something happens:
all it promises you.
* Here is the key to this whole thing . . . Wholehearted Surrender absolutely necessary!!!
- James 1:21-25(NKJ) Says Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he
observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he
who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer
but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
* The picture here is the Word being planted deep inside you, not just heard with your ears.
- That Word is “able to save your souls” . . . Meaning it has power to rescue, renew, and keep
transforming your inner life as you yield to it.
- The warning is don’t stop at hearing . . . If you only listen but don’t obey, you’re not just
immature, you’re self-deceived.
- You start thinking exposure to truth is the same thing as living in truth. ( Expound )
- God’s Word is called a “law of liberty” because obedience doesn’t imprison you, it frees you from
sin’s control and from the bondage of the old life.
- And the promise is clear: the doer “will be blessed in what he does” . . .
- Not because obedience earns salvation, but because living aligned with God’s truth positions you
to walk in His favor and fruitfulness.
* Here is the problem . . . You can sit under preaching for years and still be self-deceived if you treat
the Word like information instead of instruction.
- Jesus said it like this . . . John 8:31-32(NKJ) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed
Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.”
- Freedom is on the other side of abiding . . . You don’t get freedom by arguing with the Word, you
get freedom by abiding in it.
- Rom12:2(NKJ) says, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.
- How does the mind get renewed? . . . By the Word.
- When the Word becomes your daily bread, it breaks old mindsets and building new patterns.
- So let me make it practical: wholehearted surrender means the Word gets to disagree with you,
and still remain the authority . . .
- And delayed obedience is just disobedience wearing a nicer outfit.
In Closing . . . Call up worship team
* As we close this morning . . . Some of you are thinking, “But pastor, I’ve failed. I’ve drifted. I’ve
been inconsistent.”
- Let me encourage you . . . God is not looking for perfection; He’s looking for surrender.
- The Word doesn’t just correct you; it restores you.
- The same Word that calls you higher is the Word that lifts you when you fall.
- And the Holy Spirit is not standing off to the side saying, “Good luck.” He is the Helper.
- He reminds you of what the Word says . . . He empowers you to obey.
- He strengthens you to over come.
- Remember what Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
- Not barely . . . Not occasionally . . . Richly.
- When the Word is rich in you, your worship changes . . . Your thinking changes.
- Your relationships change. Your reactions change. And yes, your spiritual authority changes.
* Because when the Word is honored, Jesus is honored.
- And when Jesus is honored, heaven backs the life that’s surrendered.
* I feel this strong: for many believers, the issue isn’t that you don't like the Bible.
- It’s that the Bible has been slowly moved from the throne to the shelf.
- We need to put the Word back where it belongs.
- So, here’s the call: wholehearted surrender.
- Not part-time obedience . . . Not selective agreement . . . Real surrender!!
Next Week we are going to talk about how the Word is marginalized is our lives.
Text: Hebrews 4:12(NKJ) & John 1:1,14(NKJ)
* This morning, I want to share a word that will serve as a warning, a challenge, and an encouragement.
- We’re living in a day when the Word of God is constantly being reinterpreted, misinterpreted,
deconstructed, and marginalized.
- For many, the Bible is no longer the standard for life and living.
- Opinions and assumptions have replaced the authority of Scripture.
- Some consider it optional . . . Others argue that it isn’t infallible . . . And out of touch.
* Here's what’s happening . . . Truth is being treated like clay!
- It’s shaped, reshaped, and rebranded until it feels comfortable.
- The world wants to make the Word of God negotiable . . . Something you treat like optional
advice . . . Instead of something you live by as your final authority.
* Let me say it plainly . . . Anyone who treats the Word as optional will find their foundation unstable.
- Jesus didn’t say storms might come . . . He said they will come.
- The only real question is this: when the storm hits, will your life be built on something that can
keep you from collapsing?
* Jesus prayed in John 17:16-19(NKJ) They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have
sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be
sanctified by the truth.
- Notice what He didn’t say . . . He didn’t say, Your word is a truth . . . He said, Your word is
truth . . .
- That means we don’t edit the Bible to fit our lives; we surrender our lives to fit the Bible.
* So, this morning, I want to preach a message that’s been heavy on my heart . . .
“Preserving the Unshakable Word of God!”
* Because we need to come back to the Word of God and fully surrender to its power and authority.
- We need to walk again in the light that the Bible gives us.
- We need to stand firm on the promises the Word guarantees.
- We need to draw on its strength when the enemy comes against our souls.
- And we need the Word of God to take its rightful place again at the top of our everyday living.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even
to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
John 1:1,14(NKJ) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
* In my opinion, the greatest gift we as Christians have received is the Word of God.
- Our text reminds us that the “Word” isn’t just a message . . . It is a Person.
- In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.
- Then John says something that is breathtaking . . . The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
- God didn’t shout instructions from heaven; He stepped into our world and transformed our lives.- He came close enough to be seen, touched, and known.
- Everything we need we can find in the Word of God.
* The Bible is more than a collection of words on a page . . . The Bible is God-Breathed!!
- God’s authority and power are present in every Word.
- It can penetrate into the deepest parts of our lives . . . It can separate truth from fantasy.
- God describes His Word as a seed that will bring life . . . It is a sword that will protect in battle.
- A hammer that will judge right from wrong . . . A fire that will cleanse any that is surrendered to it.
- Multitudes from kings to peasants had had their lives radically changed by the Word.
* Psalm 119:89(NKJ) declares, Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
- That means God’s Word is not up for renegotiation.
- Heaven isn’t holding a committee meeting to decide if righteousness is still righteousness.
- The Word is already settled in God's Kingdom, and if it’s settled in heaven, it must be settled in
our hearts.
* We are watching people treat Scripture like a buffet, taking only what they like and leaving the rest.
- But you can’t crown Jesus as Lord and then demote His Word to optional.
- Jesus ties love and obedience . . . He said in John 14:15(NASB) If you love Me, you will keep
My commandments.
- Not, if you love Me, keep the commandments you agree with.
* The Word isn’t weak or outdated . . . Hebrews 4:12 says it’s "living and powerful."
- That means the Word still convicts, still corrects, still comforts, still moves us because it’s alive.
- It has a pulse . . . It has fire in it.
- Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 20:9(NKJ) Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak
anymore in His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my
bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.( Expound )
* When people say, “Well, I just don’t think the Bible applies anymore,” I want to remind them what
Peter said in 1 Peter 1:23-25(NLT) For you have been born again, but not to a life that will
quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of
God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that
word is the Good News that was preached to you.
* Listen to me this morning . . . Culture changes . . . Trends shift . . . Empires rise and fall.
- But the Word stands when everything else collapses!!!
* So, here’s the first point . . . Stop treating the Word like an accessory . . . Treat it like oxygen.
- Jesus said in Matt 4:4(NKJ) Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
- And Job said in Job 23:12(NKJ) I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I
have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
- That means you don’t just visit the Word . . . You live by it!!!
* Here is a difficult truth . . . If you don’t protect the Word in your life, Something Else Will Replace It!!!
- We all live by a standard . . . If it’s not the Bible, it will be something else . . .
- Feelings, trauma, ideology, popular opinion, bitterness, offense, or just the loudest voice in the
room . . . But none of those voices can save you.
* Proverbs 14:12(NKJ) warns us There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way
of death.
- Seems right . . . Is the language of self-rule . . . But the Kingdom is built on surrender.
- When we reject God’s Word as our authority, we don’t become free . . . We become vulnerable.
- This is why the enemy fights us concerning the Bible.
- He’ll fight your attention . . . He’ll fight your consistency . . . He’ll fight your hunger.
- And now he is creating enormous confusion.
- Because he knows . . . A Word-filled believer is a dangerous believer!!
* Psalm 119:11(NKJ) says, Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
- If the Word isn’t hidden in you, temptation will find a home in you.
- But when the Word is stored up . . . When it’s treasured . . . When it’s internalized . . . When we
make it our guide, the final authority, submitting to its message . . .
- Something happens:
- The Word becomes a filter for what you watch.
- A boundary for what you tolerate.
- A compass for what you choose.
- A sword for what attacks you.
all it promises you.
* Here is the key to this whole thing . . . Wholehearted Surrender absolutely necessary!!!
- James 1:21-25(NKJ) Says Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he
observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he
who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer
but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
* The picture here is the Word being planted deep inside you, not just heard with your ears.
- That Word is “able to save your souls” . . . Meaning it has power to rescue, renew, and keep
transforming your inner life as you yield to it.
- The warning is don’t stop at hearing . . . If you only listen but don’t obey, you’re not just
immature, you’re self-deceived.
- You start thinking exposure to truth is the same thing as living in truth. ( Expound )
- God’s Word is called a “law of liberty” because obedience doesn’t imprison you, it frees you from
sin’s control and from the bondage of the old life.
- And the promise is clear: the doer “will be blessed in what he does” . . .
- Not because obedience earns salvation, but because living aligned with God’s truth positions you
to walk in His favor and fruitfulness.
* Here is the problem . . . You can sit under preaching for years and still be self-deceived if you treat
the Word like information instead of instruction.
- Jesus said it like this . . . John 8:31-32(NKJ) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed
Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.”
- Freedom is on the other side of abiding . . . You don’t get freedom by arguing with the Word, you
get freedom by abiding in it.
- Rom12:2(NKJ) says, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.
- How does the mind get renewed? . . . By the Word.
- When the Word becomes your daily bread, it breaks old mindsets and building new patterns.
- So let me make it practical: wholehearted surrender means the Word gets to disagree with you,
and still remain the authority . . .
- When the Word corrects my attitude . . . I yield.
- When the Word confronts my bitterness . . . I release it.
- When the Word calls me to purity . . . I obey.
- When the Word tells me to forgive . . . I forgive.
- When the Word says love . . . I love even if it's a sacrifice.
- When the Word says “seek first the Kingdom” . . . I change my priorities.
- And delayed obedience is just disobedience wearing a nicer outfit.
In Closing . . . Call up worship team
* As we close this morning . . . Some of you are thinking, “But pastor, I’ve failed. I’ve drifted. I’ve
been inconsistent.”
- Let me encourage you . . . God is not looking for perfection; He’s looking for surrender.
- The Word doesn’t just correct you; it restores you.
- The same Word that calls you higher is the Word that lifts you when you fall.
- And the Holy Spirit is not standing off to the side saying, “Good luck.” He is the Helper.
- He reminds you of what the Word says . . . He empowers you to obey.
- He strengthens you to over come.
- Remember what Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
- Not barely . . . Not occasionally . . . Richly.
- When the Word is rich in you, your worship changes . . . Your thinking changes.
- Your relationships change. Your reactions change. And yes, your spiritual authority changes.
* Because when the Word is honored, Jesus is honored.
- And when Jesus is honored, heaven backs the life that’s surrendered.
* I feel this strong: for many believers, the issue isn’t that you don't like the Bible.
- It’s that the Bible has been slowly moved from the throne to the shelf.
- We need to put the Word back where it belongs.
- So, here’s the call: wholehearted surrender.
- Not part-time obedience . . . Not selective agreement . . . Real surrender!!
Next Week we are going to talk about how the Word is marginalized is our lives.
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