"Use Responsibly" 8-10-25
Overview
Use Responsibly: Handling the Word of God with Care
Almost everything we own comes with instructions and warnings—prescriptions, appliances, even coffee cups stamped with "caution: hot." When something has the potential to be powerful or dangerous, we hear that familiar phrase: use responsibly. Scripture itself comes with a similar charge, and for far weightier reasons. The author of Hebrews tells us that "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" Hebrews 4:12. A word that pierces soul from spirit and lays bare the heart is not a word to be handled carelessly.
Proverbs 30:5-6 gives us both the reason and the rule: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." The Hebrew behind "proves true" carries the image of refined metal—silver tested in the fire, as in Psalm 12:6 and Psalm 119:140. God's word is pure, tested, holy, and effective. It says what it means and accomplishes what it promises. Because it is pure, we are commanded not to mix it with the dross of human speculation—our own preferences, modern sensibilities, or wishful interpretations.
The temptation to tamper with Scripture is ancient. In the garden, the serpent's first move was to ask, "Did God really say…?"—and Eve answered by adding to what God had actually commanded. Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people, with itching ears, would gather teachers to suit their own desires and turn from sound doctrine to myths 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Revelation closes the canon with a sober warning against adding to or taking away from God's words Revelation 22:18-19. God takes his word seriously because his word is life and death for all who hear it—rejection brings death, but belief brings life eternal.
The good news is that the same word that cuts also heals. The pure word that exposes our sin is the very word that announces Christ crucified for sinners, risen victorious, and offering forgiveness for his name's sake. That is why verse 5 calls God a shield to those who take refuge in him: if his word is what it claims to be, then the salvation it promises is real and unshakable for you. So receive Scripture in its wholeness. Do not trim it to fit the moment or pad it with your own ideas. As Paul charged Timothy, preach the word in season and out of season 2 Timothy 4:2. God has placed his words on your lips and in your hands—go forth proclaiming them, and use them responsibly.
Transcript
If you would please open your Bibles to Proverbs 30, it's Chapter. 3s
If you're using a Puedition of the Bible, you can find this on page 575 in the Old Testament. 10s
We are in Proverbs 30. 18s
I want to read to you a few Proverbs, and I'm going to explain how we got to today's 23s
sermon topic or sermon text. 29s
So, these are a few verses directly out of Proverbs. 33s
One of the verses passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house. 36s
Another verse. 44s
He took a bag of money with him. 46s
He will not come home until full moon. 47s
Another verse. 51s
Avoid it. 53s
Do not go on it. 54s
Turn away from it and pass on. 55s
Every one of these verses, these three verses are directly from Scripture and they're all 58s
warnings. 65s
But when we hear them not in their proper place as out of context, they don't quite make sense, 67s
and they could be used in very odd ways. 76s
As I was thinking and reading through Proverbs and praying over what we could talk about today, 82s
what God's Word would have for us today. 90s
I was reading through Proverbs and I came across some of these verses as standalones, 93s
and I thought those are really odd. 98s
And then I came to our verses for today, verses five and six, 101s
and it talks about keeping the purity of God's Word in its wholeness, in its purity. 106s
And I realized that there is danger in misusing and abusing God's Word. 113s
And so that's how we came to today's topic. 122s
Think about instructions for a moment. 125s
We receive instructions for almost every aspect or every part of life, 128s
thing with life that we use or deal with prescriptions come with instructions. 135s
Hair dryers come with instructions. 141s
I key a furniture, though they're frustrating, it does come with instructions. 144s
And we are given warnings with many of these items. 151s
We see on coffee mugs or coffee cups, 156s
hot liquid liquids caution on a tag of clothing. 159s
I kid you not, I saw it. 164s
It said remove baby before washing. 166s
We find instructions and warnings everywhere with all of the items that we use with everything 172s
that we will ever come in contact with. 181s
There is a how to and how many of us here have not even 184s
launched at the instruction manual before tossing it away. 189s
Oh, that was not like you didn't have to confess to that, but I see some confessions. 194s
Okay, good for you. 199s
We all get instructions and we all have those times of not heating the instructions or heating 201s
the warnings. 211s
And with anything that has potential of being dangerous, 213s
we have that often heard or often said instruction or warning use responsibly. 217s
Use responsibly. 227s
Is there a proper use for everything? 231s
Is there a responsible use for everything? 234s
Maybe, maybe, but when it comes to God's word, 240s
the answer is yes. 246s
Yes, there is a proper use and there is a responsible use of God's word. 248s
And we ask why? 258s
Why? 259s
Why would we need to use God's word responsibly and what would be the responsible use of God's word? 260s
Well, in Hebrews the fourth chapter, we read that the word of God is living an active sharper than 266s
any to edge sword. 273s
That's the why. 278s
Because his word is living an active sharper than any to edge sword. 280s
So how do we use God's word responsibly? 288s
This is where we come to our verses for today. 292s
Look with me, please, at verses five and six of Proverbs 30. 296s
Every word of God proves true. 301s
He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 304s
Do not add to his words or else he will review you and you will be found 307s
a liar. 313s
So let's break these verses down. 314s
Verse five, every word of God proves true. 316s
His word proves true. 320s
Sometimes that proves true is translated as pure. 323s
His word is pure. 328s
But whether you use proved true or pure, the Hebrew word that is used, 330s
it's translated or it's referring to a purity of refined metal. 336s
It's a purity that has been tested, a purity that has gone through the fire. 343s
In Psalm 12, we read the promises of the Lord, our promises that are pure, silver refined in a firm 350s
furnace on the ground, purified seven times. 358s
In Psalm 119, we hear, your promise is well-tried and your servant loves it. 363s
You see the word of God that proves true. 370s
The word of God is pure. 373s
It is not corrupted. 374s
There is no impurity in the word of God. 378s
It is holy and completely clean. 382s
It has been proved time and time again. 388s
It says what it means. 392s
It means what it says. 394s
It is performative. 396s
It is effective. 397s
God's word where told goes out and does not return to him, empty, handed. 400s
It is pure. 408s
It is holy. 410s
It is true. 412s
And because of the purity of God's word, we are commissioned and warned in verse 6, 413s
to keep it that way. 421s
We are told in verse 6, do not add to his words or else he will review you and you will be found 425s
a liar. 432s
One theologian said, don't mix the pure silver of his words, the draws of human speculations. 434s
Don't mix with God's word, our own impure thoughts and ideas in our Timothy reading today. 443s
We heard how Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the time is coming 455s
when people will not put up with sound doctrine. 461s
But having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires 465s
and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 471s
The warning is there. 481s
God warns us in his pure word that we will be tempted to wander, that we will be tempted to go after 484s
teachings of our own likings that we will seek. 494s
To read our own ideas and preach our own ideas into God's word and we are tempted to ask where's 501s
the harm? 511s
Where is the harm really? 513s
Or we are tempted to hold God's word up against our own modern idea of kindness and goodness 517s
and worthiness and love? 529s
Where's the harm? 534s
Where's the harm in just wanting God's word to be nice? 536s
According to how we understand, 546s
the harm is found in Revelation chapter 22. 553s
Where we're told I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book 560s
if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 565s
If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person's 571s
share in the Tree of Life and in the Holy City which are described in this book, 577s
you see God takes his word very seriously. 584s
God's word is his revealed will for us. 588s
It is his revealed will and passion and love that he has for his creation. 595s
It is also his word of his complete purity and holiness that cannot be 605s
with the unholy that cannot be with the impure. 612s
His word is his announcement of his will with his wisdom and we know that his thoughts 620s
are not Itharts, his thoughts are greater than our thoughts. 627s
His thoughts are wholeere than our thoughts are ideas and when we add to his word, 633s
we're adding our impurities to it. We're adding our unholyness to it and we're committing 642s
forgery of the worst offense. Do not add to his words or else he will 652s
review you and you will be found a liar. In the garden when Eve was having that conversation with 663s
the serpent, the serpent asked did God really say not only did he bring into question God's 673s
perfect word and command for Adam and Eve but then Eve found herself adding her own ideas 684s
to what God had commanded and it's spiraled. It's spiraled into the sin 694s
of the entire world. It's spiraled into your birth into sin, my birth into sin. 702s
From adding, from doubting, from questioning, God's own holy and perfect word. 714s
God takes holiness seriously. God takes sin seriously. God takes his living active word 728s
seriously. As a child is raised, he or she eventually needs to learn how to cut their stake 741s
or use a knife or use scissors and you'll see these training scissors or plastic knives that you 750s
give to a toddler to learn how to use a knife you don't directly hand a two-year-old a machete. 760s
Well, God's word were told is living an active sharper than any two-edged sword. 771s
The writer of Hebrews continued saying, piercing until it divides soul from spirit joints from 780s
the marrow, it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him, no creature 787s
is hidden but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render and account. 794s
If God's word was up for debate, if God's word was up for our own variations or wantings to be 803s
shared and added to it, he wouldn't tell us that it was like a sword that it could split, 811s
joint from marrow that it could read, are very soul that by engaging with his word in his law, 822s
he lays us bare in our sinfulness. There is nowhere for us to hide when we are convicted by his word 834s
and we're shown exactly who we are as children born of Adam and Eve. 845s
And yet his word is also the word that comes to us telling us that he loves us. 854s
It is his pure word that comes to you telling you that Jesus Christ Himself 864s
suffered for the sin, suffered for the sin that we are tempted to live in and engage in suffered 873s
under the punishment of the wrath of God for what you and I have done or not done. 883s
For what you and I have said or not said what we have thought 892s
every time the word of God cuts us with his law. 900s
It also binds us and heals us with the gospel telling us that we are 910s
forgiven by Christ and Christ alone. 921s
We are told of the scars that Jesus bears for us and that by those very scars we are healed. 928s
We are told in his word that the tomb is empty, that he has risen victorious over our sin. 941s
God takes his word seriously and he does so because of verse 5 in our text. 952s
Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 967s
God's word being pure is a shield for us knowing that it is holy and complete and purified. 977s
That it has been proven true. It has been tested. It is a shield and a refuge for us because 989s
if God's word is what it says it is. 995s
If God is who he says he is, then we are promised and we can stand firmly on the truth and the 1000s
purity that we are forgiven. That the salvation that God promises in his word it is real and it is for you. 1012s
There is no addition to it. It is what it says it is and God's word says that you are forgiven for 1027s
his name's sake. That you are loved by Christ. Love to the point of his death. 1041s
Loved into and through his resurrection and because we know that his word is pure and true and that 1050s
he does not lie it is a refuge and a shield, a place of comfort. 1060s
Because it is his own word for you. 1070s
As a gen Xer, I really really wanted to use this sermon to mock the improper use of God's word and 1081s
there are a lot of really good examples out there. But I realized that to mock the improper use of God's 1094s
word would be to improperly use or irresponsibly use God's word. God takes his word 1108s
seriously because his word is life and death for all who hear it. For all who hear and reject 1120s
it is death. But for all who hear and believe it is life, life eternal and we are promised to live, 1131s
life eternally in the presence of the living word of God that is in the presence of Jesus Christ 1145s
himself. And so you my brothers and sisters, as called disciples of Jesus Christ as followers, 1155s
you are called to preach as Paul says in Timothy to preach in all seasons, 1166s
to preach using the full word of God, not to itch our ears, not to satisfy what we want God's 1173s
word to say but to preach God's word in its wholeness in its purity. He has placed his words 1189s
on your lips, he has placed his words in your hands and he calls you to go forth, 1199s
proclaiming his word but remember to use it responsibly. 1210s