On occasion God reveals Himself through His Word in what could be called a “Holy Silence.” This is the kind of silence in which you can hear a pin drop in an audience of thousands. As if all the air is completely sucked out of the room.

You may have been fortunate to have experienced a time when the Word of God was spoken with such authority that it prompted such a silence. No applause, not even an Amen—just silence. The air sucked from the room.

This happens. On occasion.

But not often. We’re more accustomed to the use of movie clips, videos, skits and the like. Rather than the Bible’s being taught, we hear teachings from books about the Bible. It often ends up that there’s far more entertainment in our church services than the teaching of the active, powerful, sharper-than-any-two-edged-sword Word of God. And that’s to our detriment.

Should we be fortunate enough to experience powerful teachings of the Word, spoken in absolute authority, there is no mistaking that it brings us into the very presence of God. And however brief the encounter, we are aware that something inside is changed.

Equally clear is the impact of our being in the presence of man’s teaching. There is no “pin-dropping” silence here, just the murmur of whispered conversation and people stirring about. The people are not captured by the words they hear, because they are not hearing the words of God. Doctrine and the teachings of man can never replace the teachings of God. No doubt about it, there is power in the Word of God.

It makes sense, then, that great things could develop in our churches today if, when believers gather for worship, they hear only the Word of God. No frills, no videos, no enhancements of any kind. Just God’s Word. Nothing more.

The truth is simple. Only through the powerful, active Word of God can we learn to live the lives that God intended for His people.