INTRODUCTION
• START OFF WITH THE VIDEO ENTITLED “THE BOOK”.
• SLIDE #1
• Today we will look at the 4th of 5 things we should know. These are things that will help us to maintain our faith in the midst of adversity and they are things that will help us to appreciate the blessings we have as a result of belonging to Jesus.
• Thus far we have learned that we can trust God with all of our hearts and He will direct our paths.
• We have learned that God wants us to ask of Him, and finally we have learned the importance of passing on a legacy of faith.
• Today our focus will be on another wonderful gift we have from God at our disposal.
• The video clip gave you just a few facts concerning the Bible.
• We have a Guide Book from God!
• We have a book that claims to be the very word of God! It does not claim to contain the word of God; it claims to be the word of God.
• The way the text has endured and has been preserved in its accuracy is in itself a testimony to the fact that the bible is the Word of God!
• Today, we will see why it is important for Christians to spend time in the bible.
• If you have your bibles, please turn to 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• SLIDE #2
• The first thing we need to understand about the Bible is that it is inspired by God himself!
SERMON
I. THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD.
• Books are written from the mind of and by the hand of man. The bible is unique in that it is inspired by God and written by the hand of man.
• SLIDE #3
• Look at 2 Timothy 3:16
• 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB) 16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
• That is quite a claim to make isn’t it? Paul is telling is that the scriptures are inspired by God.
• When we think of inspiration, we may think of seeing something that moves us to paint a picture, so that may move us to write a book or a poem.
• When Paul says the scriptures are inspired, is he merely saying that those who penned the scriptures were moved by thought of the existence of a God to write the Bible?
• It was written over a 1500 year span. That encompasses over 40 generations. It was written by over 40 authors from every walk of life, from kings to peasants.
• It was written in different places, during different times on three continents in three different languages, yet the message is the same, and it is consistent.
• All of those facts in themselves are amazing. How do you think that happened? Do you think that over 40 authors from various backgrounds, during a 1500 year span writing from 3 continents, using 3 languages, could possibly come up with a consistent message?
• There has to be more to the issue of inspiration than simply being moved to do something.
• SLIDE #4
1. The Bible is God-Breathed.
• The word translated “inspired” is only used in the verse in the bible, it literally reads, “God-Breathed.”
• This tells us that ALL SCRIPTURE is the product of God’s breath or Spirit, the result of God’s action. Every word of the scriptures was breathed out by God, and then written by man God used to proclaim His message to mankind.
• God revealed His person and plan to certain people and they wrote it down. The authors still incorporated their style and personality in the writing of the Bible.
• SLIDE #5
• 2 Peter 1:20 - 21 (NASB) 20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
• Peter tells us that people did not just make up what to put in the Bible. When you read some of the prophecies in the Old Testament and realize they were written many times hundreds of years before the events happened testify to the validity of this thought.
• Imagine being able to predict an event like 911 1000 years before it happened, or even 100 years. And I am talking about making a prediction with clarity, not a bunch of ambiguous statements that could be turned to mean about anything.
• Prophecies concerning Jesus, over 700 years before He came were made accurately by Isaiah.
• There were prophecies concerning the cities of Tyre and Sidon which were fulfilled, Nineveh, Babylon among many others.
• SLIDE #6
• Jeremiah 1:9 states, “Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”
• The Bible is not a book that was formed in the mind of man; it came from God Himself, to the hand of man.
• SLIDE #7
• The second thing we need to understand is that the Bible is the ultimate guide book.
II. THE BIBLE IS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE BOOK.
• What do I mean by this?
• People are always reading self-help books and many other books because they are looking for an edge, or they are looking for some kind of help with life.
• I think this is great, we should always be looking to improve ourselves. Now the question is, “Where do you go for guidance?”
• SLIDE #8
• I want us to look at verse 16 again.
• It tells us that the bible is profitable for some things
• SLIDE #9
1. The Bible is profitable for:
• This means that the Bible is useful and beneficial, it is of value.
• Your Bible will do you no good just sitting on the shelf each week until Sunday.
• For the Bible to be profitable for you, you need to use it.
• The Bible is not a book full of human stories; it is the book of life.
• When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness by Satan, what did Jesus use to defend Himself? He quoted the scriptures. (Matthew 4:3-10)
• There are four things listed in which Paul says the Bible is profitable for.
• SLIDE #10
• The first area is teaching.
a. Teaching
• All that needs to be taught and learned concerning salvation and life comes from the Bible.
• The content of teaching of the truth must flow from and be consistent with the scriptures.
• The word for teaching implies a divine instruction. Teaching from the scriptures is the only source that is never wrong.
• We can teach others about how to live for Jesus, what it means to love God and others. We can teach people how they can please God, how they can become one of His children.
• We can learn how to handle money, how to be a good spouse or parent. WE can learn how to deal with people.
• The Bible is an inexhaustible resource that will help us to grow.
• SLIDE #11
• The second area the Bible can help us with is reproof.
b. Reproof
• The word reproof means to convict to show someone. It is rebuking in order to convict of misbehavior or false doctrine.
• It is used in the context of confronting those who are in sin.
• The Word of God can convict us to change, to turn away from false teachings.
• SLIDE #12
• Hebrews 4:12 - 13 (NASB) 12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
• The Word of God can convict us to change.
• SLIDE #13
• The third area of usefulness for the word of God is for correction.
c. Correction
• This word means to cut straight.
• Reproof convicts a person, correction gets them back on the right path.
• It means to help people straighten out their errors. It is restoring something to its original and proper condition.
• SLIDE #14
• Hebrews 13:22 (NASB) 22But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.
• The Hebrew writer wants to help correct his readers.
• The fourth area of blessing is in training in righteousness.
• SLIDE #15
d. Training in righteousness.
• The Bible gives you the training or discipline you need to be able to please God.
• All the instruction you need to be restored to the path of righteousness.
• SLIDE #16
• Following the bible will help equip you for this life and prepare you for eternity.
III. FOLLOWING THE BIBLE WILL HELP EQUIP YOU FOR THIS LIFE AND PREPARE YOU FOR ETERNITY.
SLIDE #17
1. We will be adequate.
• Reliance on God’s word will make us ready to do what we are called to do.
• We will be complete, capable, and proficient in everything we are called to do.
• SLIDE #18
• Colossians 2:10 (NASB) 10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
• The only way we can be adequate is by spending time in the Word so we can become more Christ-like
• SLIDE #19
2. We will be equipped.
• We will have everything we need to take on the challenges of the world. We will have all the equipment we need to be able to carry out the mission God has given to each one of us.
• We will be able to meet all the demands of righteousness!
CONCLUSION
• We need to remember that God has not left us in the dark, we do not have to wonder what He wants is to do with our lives.
• We do not have to guess what pleases Him. We do not have to wonder how to deal with what life dishes out to us.
• Commit this passage to memory; you will be blessed by memorizing and by putting it into practice in your life!
