Man's Responses To This Old Book Series

MAN'S RESPONSES TO THIS OLD BOOK

A few years ago I took Lana to see “Last Christmas”. It promised to be a sappy, romantic comedy movie. The kind most men hate, but I love. I loved this movie but the critics hated it. The Bible is a lot like that. Some hate it, some ignore, some really need it, and some treasure it.

How do people respond to God's Word?

1. MANY HATE IT.

2 Tim 4:1-2 1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Paul tells Timothy to Preach the Word!! The whole Word. Yes, do preach encouragement. But also preach repentance. Responsibility and accountability. This is called “preaching the whole counsel of God.” Why is Paul encourage Timothy to preach the whole counsel of God??

2 Tim 4:3-4 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

What we see in America is a nation filled with people that truly hate the Bible. They hate the Word of God. Why? Because they do not like that the Bible forbids things they want to do. They hate the Bible because they love their sin!! This Old Book will either drive you to repentance or it will drive you to hate God, His Word, and His church.

* A preacher I went to Seminary with interviewed at a church in a neighboring County. The interview went well, but they went on to tell him that he could preach on any moral issue, except one. If he became their pastor and preached on that subject, he would be fired immediately. He declined to serve there.

* Today, many churches in America are apostate churches because of their endorsement and participation in immoral activities that the Bible expressly forbids. So, they hire or follow pastors who will not preach on sin and repentance.

* “feel good” preachers that only encourages them, never rebukes them

* Ones that promise good health and great wealth if they send money.

*** Why is it so important to preach the whole counsel of God?

Because if you fail to preach about sin and repentance, people will not repent, they’ll continue to live in sin and they will die and go to Hell.

** Preachers that don’t preach repentance are helping the Devil do his job of deceiving lost people that will ultimately bust Hell wide open.

** Shamefully, I see many pastors that must hate the Bible also because instead of spending time studying God’s Word and seeking His guidance, they spend their time listening to a closet full of sermon tapes or scour the internet to plagiarize sermons from real men of God.

** Plagiarizing sermons and preaching only feel good messages might make you popular with people, it might get you a bigger congregation, and it might make you more money.... but don’t forget what Paul said in verse 1..... as a pastor, you’re going to one day stand before the God who will judge the living and the dead and you will give an account of your life and your ministry. And, on that day you will find out that God is more concerned about how faithful you are than how successful you are!!!

2. MANY IGNORE IT.

One of the greatest gifts God has given is This Old Book, the Bible.

It is a light unto our path. It contains great wisdom to help us live better lives. It contains the words of life and salvation. It is a powerful weapon to use in spiritual warfare.

There are 4.5 Bibles per household in America. 25 million copies printed each year. It has the greatest distribution of any book in America, but is likely the most ignored book in American homes.

Why do people ignore the Bible? I think 2 main reasons!

(1) The Demands that it makes. Southern Living magazine is filled recipes and beautiful pictures of food. You can wow yourself with the recipes and pictures of the food, but you are never demanded to cook anything.

* But when you read the Bible, it demands change. It demands the reader to repent and live by the teachings found within it. When people don’t want to change, they stop reading it so they won’t feel guilt.

(2) Their shallow love for God. When you love someone, you want to spend time with them. Their opinions, their thoughts and desires really matter to you. Those who truly love God spend time reading and studying His Word because they want to know Him in a deeper way and they want to please Him.