Let your Fingers do the Walking…..through the Bible
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3: 14-17 Date: 7 March 2010
Purpose: To share the importance of Biblical literacy.
Illustration: Let your fingers do the walking. This is of course the slogan for the Yellow Pages. The Yellow Pages realized that all the information that one could need is found in the Yellow Pages. HUNGRY for Chinese but not sure where to go? Let you fingers do the walking and look up a Chinese Restaurant in the Yellow Pages. Is your car BROKEN DOWN but not sure where to take it? Let your fingers do the walking and look up a mechanic in the Yellow Pages. Maybe you have a cough and you feel SICK? Let your fingers do the walking and look up a doctor in the Yellow Pages.
As Americans living in 2010 we know that all of our answers are found in the Yellow Pages. We Americans know how and where to find what we are looking for in the Yellow Pages. But what about finding what we need in the Bible? When we are HUNGRY, BROKEN DOWN, and SICK we need to let our fingers do the walking and get what we need in the Scriptures.
But this is a major problem for many of us today. Our Bible study is almost non-existent and our knowledge is not accurate to say the least.
VIDEO: “The Skinny on the Bible”
2 Timothy 3: 14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
*RELEASE CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN’S CHURCH*
Today we are so blessed, we have ready access to the Bible through the internet and mass-produced physical copies and even on our cell phones. But the illiteracy rate in the United States is well below 10 percent. We have the ability to read the Bible and the education to understand it. We have 24/7 access to it in a huge variety of formats and languages
Our Country was founded on Christian principles. We were a strong, growing and going Christian nation. Once upon a time we taught the alphabet from the Bible and used it as the main source of educational structure. We may have started off in the right direction but it is where we have ended up that breaks my heart. The days of using the Holy Bible as a text book in our schools has been long dead and long gone.
As Christians we know better don’t we? We must realize the importance of Biblical literacy.
I. Biblical literacy is important because The Bible is God’s Word.
A. If the Bible is truly God’s Word, then we should cherish it, study it, obey it, and fully trust it. If the Bible is the Word of God, then to dismiss it is to dismiss God Himself.
1. The fact that God gave us the Bible is an illustration of His love for us. The term “revelation” simply means that God communicated to mankind what He is like and how we can have a right relationship with Him. These are things that we could not have known had God not divinely revealed them to us in the Bible.
2. The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word?
3. There can be no doubt that the Bible does claim to be the very Word of God. This is clearly seen when Paul’s tells Timothy: “…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)
B. An internal evidence of the divine origin of the Bible is its unique authority and power. The Bible’s authority is unlike any other book ever written.
1. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by the supernatural power of God’s Word.
2. Drug addicts have been cured by it, homosexuals set free by it, derelicts and deadbeats transformed by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners rebuked by it, and hate turned to love by it. The Bible does possess a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.
C. There are also external evidences that indicate the Bible is truly the Word of God.
1. Through both archaeological evidences and other writings, the historical accounts of the Bible have been proven time and time again to be accurate and true.
2. In fact, all the archaeological and manuscript evidence supporting the Bible makes it the best-documented book from the ancient world. The fact that the Bible accurately and truthfully records historically verifiable events is a great indication of its truthfulness when dealing with religious subjects and doctrines and helps substantiate its claim to be the very Word of God.
D. Another external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the indestructibility of the Bible. Because of its importance and its claim to be the very Word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors, through communist dictators and on to modern-day atheists and agnostics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still today the most widely published book in the world.
1. Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archeology has confirmed it as historical.
2. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains; its impact on lives is unmistakable.
3. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it is a clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word and is supernaturally protected by Him.
4. It should not surprise us that, no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged. After all, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31).
5. After looking at the evidence, one can say without a doubt that, yes, the Bible is truly God’s Word.
II. Biblical literacy is important because The Bible is our instruction manual for life.
A. Timothy 3:16 (New Living Translation). All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong with our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. I think that passage speaks for itself.
1. Whenever you buy an appliance you usually receive a manual that gives instructions on how to properly operate it. Usually it reads:
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING.
Illustration: How many of you really read your appliance manual before using? I don’t. I would only refer to it when something goes wrong, or there is a particular function I am not familiar with. Most of us treat our Bibles in the same way. We turn to it and God (or some other source) only when we encounter major problems in our lives, when we should have consulted God first.
Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: ’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
3. God’s word gives us food for our souls, for our spiritual life. If we do not feed our spiritual life we will not be able to cope with all of life’s demands and problems. We will always have situations to deal with, it is how we handle them that matters
4. If we look at the Bible as our Instruction Manual, we can save ourselves a lot of time and money for some of the problems we cause in our lives. And God is more than willing to ’service’ us when we malfunction, by forgiving us and blessing us when we do right.
III. Biblical literacy is important because We are to share His Word.
A. Matthew 28: 19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Illustration: Living in Northern Iowa has really enhanced my knowledge of certain things that had I not lived here, I would have never learned. I have truly learned what it is like to be cold and I have been instructed on how YA’LL speak proper English.
My latest lesson has been on hockey. I have heard more about hockey within this past week then I have ever heard of it in my life. It is all over the place. Hockey is a way of life for many in this part of the country and America’s loss to Canada last week in the Olympics was a devastating blow to many.
I have become curious for the first time in my life about hockey. I want to hear more about it, I want to learn about it, and I would love to try it sometime. The hockey fans here are truly excited about it and have a passion about it. This is very evident in the way they talk about it and share hockey with me.
- As believers in Christ, we too should be this enthusiastic about sharing His Word. If fans of hockey can spark an interest in a guy that hates snow and cold, then just think about how many people we could inspire to pick up their Bibles and read about our Savior? Just think about how many people we can inspire to want to hear and learn more about Jesus.
1. In the Great Commission, Jesus instructs us to: teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. How do we expect to accomplish this command from Jesus if we don’t understand His Word?
2. In James 1: 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. he says to not just listen to the word and thereby deceive yourself. What he means is that there is no value at all to be found in God’s word unless you put them into some kind of action in your life.
3. I am amazed at how many people can read the Bible and even accept it as truth, but refuse to let it change our lives or our behavior. Too many people mark in their Bibles, but don’t ever get around to letting their Bibles make any marks in them.
4. Reading a little further in James in James 1: 23-25, James equates some Bible readers to a man who looks into a mirror, sees his reflection, and as soon as he turns away, he forgets what he looks like.
Illustration: I used to read my Bible, and as quickly as I would close it, I would forget about what I had just read. What was my mistake? Well, a couple of things really. First of all, I was reading it for all the wrong reasons. I didn’t have that thirst, that desire, I was only reading it because I had to not because I wanted to.
I also didn’t pray for my reading; I didn’t pursue God’s word; in short, I read it like I read directions on a bottle of vitamins. I took no real interest. And I forgot.
5. Why do we look in the mirror? Most of the time it is to make ourselves look better. We make sure our hair is combed just right or that our make-up is on just so-so. I am not saying that is wrong, but I also think that every now and then, we need to look in the mirror and concentrate on what we really look like – to see ourselves as we really are.
Conclusion:
When it comes to the Bible I believe that we need to get ourselves in gear so to speak. We have become too complacent and many of us have for gotten to power in God’s Word.
- We should have no doubts that the Bible is God’s Word!
- The Bible is our instruction manual for life!
- We need to share it with others and inspire them to be thirsty for His Holy Word!
