Those Things Most Surely Believed
13) THE WORD OF GOD – EQUIPS US
Text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
BRIEF RECAP
As recorded in Luke 1:1 - we are continuing week by week to confirm:
“...those things most surely believed among us?”
You see - as Children of God we need to know what we believe.
So far, in this series of lessons - we have looked at the things we believe about God,
Now are beginning to explore the things we believe about God’s Word.
On that note, I ask that you turn with me once again to 2 Timothy Chapter 3.
This is our fifth lesson on God’s Word now - and our third instalment
Right here in the very same text in 2 Timothy.
Now remember our whole task and focus over these past weeks
Has simply been to emphasize the things we believe about the Bible...
And to really recognise and appreciate the extraordinary value
Having the Word of God can be to our lives.
Notice how Paul starts out in verse 16 saying:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is Profitable.
Of course, in the Greek – the term “profitable” doesn’t refer to financial gains,
But is simply a general term used more broadly to mean:
That which is “advantageous”, “beneficial” and of course “useful”.
You see, there is incredible value behind God’s Word
Because of just how useful it is to all our lives – it benefits us all.
And Paul really hits this point home by carrying on further to say:
All Scripture… is profitable for… (and then he makes a list – vs 16).
Firstly, Doctrine – which speaks of “Teaching”
Secondly, for Reproof – which is a process whereby
We are shown our faults and convicted of our sins.
Thirdly, for Correction - which is really all about how God is able to fix our faults
And deal with our sins - primarily through Jesus Christ,
Then last but not least…
We are told that all Scripture is beneficial because it provides
…Instruction in Righteousness.
In other words, this is how God shows us the right way to live.
Now you tell me – Is there a place and purpose
For the Bible in our everyday lives today – absolutely!
And when we put all the truths of this verse together – it’s clear to see why.
The Word of God is incredibly useful because…
It Teaches us…Reproves us… Corrects us…
And even Instructs us in how to live right.
God didn’t just create us and leave us to our own devices…
Because He gave us His Word so that we can Profit by it.
Brethren this is what we believe!
And that really leads us into what we learnt last week.
You see, not only does the Word of God Profit us…
But it is also the tool God uses to Perfect us.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God… - Paul declares,
And down in the first part of verse 17: That the man of God may be perfect,
Now being human, it’s important we don’t let a statement like this go to our heads.
Brethren - don’t misinterpret what is being said here.
Remember this term “perfect” in the original Greek...
Doesn’t refer to being “sinless” or “without fault”.
In fact the truth is, none of us are perfect in that regard – are we.
Even after we come to know the Lord and accept Jesus Christ as our Personal Saviour,
And even after we receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts...
Which seals us unto the day of our redemption - we still have sinful tendencies in the flesh...
And a whole lot of flaws remaining in our lives.
And this is what makes the Word Of God so important to us...
It’s because it helps to perfect us.
Of course, the word Perfect in this context – doesn’t speak of being sinless or without fault,
But instead speaks of being made “whole” or “complete”.
It’s a term that speaks of combining many individual parts together,
So that a designed purpose can be met.
And this is what is so neat about this verse…
Because after we come to realise that it’s God who created us,
And that He created us with a specific purpose in mind,
We are told that - It’s His Word that leads and directs us...
And brings all the pieces together so that we might serve Him.
You see, the Bible is God’s manual for life and living…
And it enables us to live “Whole” and “Complete” lives the way God intended.
Listen to me now,
A Child of God - without the Word of God…
Will never be able to put all the pieces together.
On the other hand…
A Child of God – with the Word of God
Will be made both whole and complete...
To live the kind of life God has called them to live.
And again brethren - this is what we Believe!
God’s Word perfects us in this way.
So that’s a quick summary of what we’ve gleaned from this text
So far over the last several weeks.
And today we’re going to take things a step further.
INTRODUCTION
So far we have seen how God’s Word Profits us
And how God’s Word Complete’s us...
Today, I want to add to all of this by seeing How God’s Word also Equips Us
A quick study of the Scriptures effectively reveal to us
That God has always intended for His Word to be a fundamental part of our lives.
And what’s more – His Word has been given to us...
So that we might be “fully equipped” for the life and ministry.
In 2nd Timothy Chapter 3:16 and 17 what are we told...
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is Profitable
Not for money but…
…for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be Perfect [not sinless]
But So that every Child of God can live a life that is whole and complete,
And notice this last part, - so that we might be…throughly furnished unto all good works.
We are told that God’s Word has been given
So that it might Profit Us ...
So that it might Complete Us...
And so that it might Furnish Us
All Scripture is given by God for this expressed purpose.
THROUGHLY FUNISHED
God Promises to “throughly furnish” us in the Word.
Interestingly enough, in the Greek this phrase comes out to be translated as:
“To fit out completely with what is required” or to “Fully Equip”.
And brethren we need to understand this.
At the end of the day, It’s “All Scripture”…
That will fit us out completely with everything we need,
And it’s the Word of God that will fully equip us for what lays ahead.
Have you ever attempted something and not been fully equipped?
Most it ends very badly – and sometimes....
Depending on what you are doing, it can even be dangerous to attempt something
Without the right skills, abilities, and equipment.
In New Zealand – the weather changes very quickly,
We are an Island nation – and we have extreme weather ranging from
Heat of the Sun...to ice and snow of the mountains...through to stormy seas.
And to go out into these environments you need to be sufficiently equipped.
This is the case in many places around the world.
In fact, I found these articles after a quick search on the internet – it reads:
12 rescues in 48 hours, Coast Guard warns of unprepared boating
It was a busy weekend for the Coast Guard in waters of the Tampa Bay area. The temperature drop and high wind came as a surprise to boaters, forcing several to call for help.
The first happened Saturday night. Two sailors were stranded, including the owner of a sailboat with a broken mast. The Coast Guard says he fought six-foot seas and 30 mph winds and couldn’t anchor when he called for help, also telling crews he ran out of food and water. The Coast Guard says this is part of a bigger problem indicative of people not being adequately equipped and prepared for the conditions.
Another quick search revealed this article:
Teenage trio rescued after spending freezing night on Mountain
Three teenagers who planned to camp on a mountain near Maple Ridge, had to be rescued when their equipment turned out to be insufficient for sub-zero temperatures. Rescuers found the group and determined they were only lightly equipped and not fully prepared to spend a night in the snow. Crews found two of the teenagers soaking wet from the hike up, and without a stove or other heat source, they were beginning to suffer from hypothermia.
Now irrespective of what part of the world you live in
The universal truth that governs us all is that
We need to be physically prepared to live and survive in the environment we are in,
No matter what weather may be that is thrown at us.
We know this – right. Of course, the question that now begs to be asked is:
“How prepared are we to live spiritually?”
“As Children of God, and as Christians…just how equipped are we for the journey ahead?”
“When it comes to our spiritual lives – are we sufficiently prepared?”
The good news is that with the Bible - we are.
You see, God promises to completely furnish us with all that is required...
And to fully equip us with everything we need for spiritual life and living in His Word.
Brethren – I want you to come to see the Word of God
Not just as a book that teaches us practical life skills,
But as a book that teaches us spiritual life skills.
This is what God’s Word does - that no other book can do.
It prepares and equips us for our spiritual walk and relationship with God.
And without this [the Bible] to equip us...
None of us could have the ministry God has afforded us,
And none of us could effectively serve the Lord with our lives in the way He desires.
The Word of God helps us to avoid certain disaster be equipping us for all that lays ahead.
1) EQUIPPED IN THE WORD
We are sufficiently supplied and fully equipped with this [the Bible]
And you say: “Well gee – how does the Bible do that…
“After all, it’s just a book - right.”
“How on earth can we be adequately equipped with just a few Words?”
Well people have been looking to books
For knowledge and direction almost since the dawn of time.
So mankind has always placed some kind of value in words.
Here’s an interesting fact…
Today, an average copy of the New York Times
Contains more factual information in a single edition,
Than all the combined written materials available
to an average reader living in the 15th century.
In 1472 the finest university library in the world
Was said to be Queen’s College, Cambridge.
It was greatly treasured and highly prized by students and scholars alike,
Boasting having 199 books.
Now there are 60,000 new books released just in the USA each year,
With a further 300,000 books worldwide.
People have always found information contained books valuable.
Today we have all kinds of books, about all kinds of things…
We have self help books, personal interest books…
Motivational books, cooking books,
And yet there is only one book…
In all the 600,000 produced every year
That is faithfully endorsed by the Almighty God Himself,
A book which promises to “fully equip” us for aspects of life and living.
I wonder what is a book like that is truly worth?
Now generally speaking, If you’re a person who likes to read,
One thing that will be important to you is “Who wrote the book?”
Not all authors and writings styles are created equal.
Remember what Paul wrote in vs 16: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
So then God is the author of this book.
That word inspiration used there means: “to breath”.
And even though the Bible may have been recorded and penned by human hand,
It was actually first spoken and breathed by the Lord Himself.
In fact, as we study out the Scriptures, we can see clear examples
Of when God makes the choice to “inspire” a writer in this way,
By providing them with the exact words they were to speak and record.
One such example can be found with the Prophet Jeremiah…
Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
So God said to the Prophet – these are my Words that I am now putting in you.
And of course, Jeremiah was then tasked with sharing and recording those words with others.
So when we talk about the Bible equipping us for what lays ahead…
Lets just be clear about something - This isn’t just some book.
These are not just a few idle Words of men.
This is the Spoken Word - breathed directly from the mouth of God.
And it is what equips us for our entire life and journey ahead.
I mean how could we ever hope to have a personal relationship
With an Almighty, All Powerful, All Knowing God without it?
How could we ever hope to serve the Lord in way...
Without direction and instruction from His Word?
God knows exactly what we lack - and exactly what we need
And He’s put it altogether for us here in the Bible.
You see, once again this is precisely why God has provided us with His Word.
It Profits us, it Perfects us and it even Equips us for everything ahead.
The Word is here so that we can be “thoroughly furnished”…
So that we can be “fitted out completely”
With all the skills and abilities we need to serve the Lord.
2) EQUIPPED FOR THE WORK
Make no mistake we are equipped by the Word…
But we are also equipped for the Work.
Notice with me again what Paul says in verses 17 our text… all Scripture is given…
That the man of God may be… throughly furnished unto all good works.
So this is here to enable us to accomplish something good with our lives.
There is work ahead…
There is something that needs to be done.
You know, if the World around us is good for anything…
It’s good at “thoroughly furnishing” us in what is “wrong” – do you know what I mean.
But on the contrary, what God’s Word equips us to do,
What it gives us the skills and abilities to perform are good works.
Interesting term works when you trace out in the Bible,
Because it’s primarily used in one of three ways:
Firstly, to speak of the Works Of God. Deuteronomy 3:24
24 O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?
So this is an example of the great and mighty works of God.
However secondly, we find numerous references in the Scriptures
Regarding the Works of Jesus Christ as He followed the Father. John 4:34,
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.
John 10:32
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father;
So Jesus went around engaging in God’s work
And He performed many good works for all of mankind to see.
Of course, as we know His works were not always well received…
But they were good works all the same.
And then thirdly, the Bible speaks of the Works of Man…
Being either good in relation to the faith,
Or bad in relation to our flesh.
In our text of course we are talking solely about good works.
Listen to what Jesus said about these good works to His disciples: John 14:12
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
So Jesus says – “truth, truth I declare unto you” …
That’s what the word verily means – it means “truth”.
“This is the truth” Jesus says – “anyone who believes in me will be doing my works”.
“And he will accomplish greater works than me – because I am going to my Father”
In other words, Jesus says “I am not always going to be here…
But you will carry on in the good works I have started.”
“You will continue and add to these works after I am gone”
And we sit here and say – “oh my goodness Lord”
“How are we ever going to follow in your works…
Let alone perform even greater works than you?”
Guys this is how we do it [The Bible].
It’s by, through, in, and because of His Word.
It’s the Word of God that fully equips us for this work.
It’s the Word of God that fits us with everything we will ever need for the work ahead.
Did you notice the language Paul uses at the back end of verse 17?
Because this is important.
He says, we have all of the Scriptures so that we can be
…throughly furnished unto all good works.
Now “all” is all – inclusive
It means anything and everything – so that nothing is left out.
When it comes to following God and serving Him with our lives
We have all we need to prepare us
And all we will ever need to equip us – right here.
With Jesus in our hearts and His Word in our lives
We will be completely prepared and fully equipped to live the Christian life
And to engage in all good works.
COMMIT TO THE WORD
This was always how God intended it to be.
The problem however – is sometimes
We turn our backs on the greatest resource mankind has have ever been given.
We forget the extraordinary value and amazing worth
Of having the Word of God in our lives.
Answer me this…
“What good is an instruction manual if you never read it?”
“And what good is having all the best equipment at hand…
If your not willing to put it to use?
How is God’s Word ever going to fulfil its purpose in our lives
And do what its designed to do – if we simply choose to disregard it.
Anyone with great wisdom and Knoweldge…
But refused to use it – is kind of foolish.
And that’s exactly what we are when we shelve this book.
As your Pastor, I want to encourage you all to look to God’s Word
And take it seriously.
See its true worth and value for your life.
And as you do, I promise you - you’ll discover that it can
Profit us, Complete Us…and fully Equip Us all.
God’s Word doesn’t leave you hanging.
And it certainly doesn’t leave you unprepared.
Instead it fully equips you for this life and the one to come.
The question is “Do we really want to be prepared?
Do we really desire to be thoroughly furnished?”
Because if you do - then the greatest resource mankind has ever known
Is at your fingertips.
You’ve got a gold mine waiting to be explored
And trust me when I say, it has immeasurable wealth contained within.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable [useful, beneficial to our lives] for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect [whole and complete], throughly furnished [fully equipped] unto all good works.
