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.
3. MANY NEED IT. (all need it)
Lk 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives.....
*Jesus came “to set the captives free!” He preached the gospel to do it!
Jn 8:31 “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
* The Gospel, God’s Word, is true! When you hear it, receive it, and believe it you are set free from the power/darkness of sin, death,+ Hell.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes
* Paul says the gospel has the power to save “everyone” that believes!
Rom 10:14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
Much of the world lives in spiritual darkness because they don’t have access to the Word of God and the Gospel. The Lottie Moon offering is a way we can be part of sharing the Gospel with them. Let’s send them many witnesses. Let’s do our part to send the Light!
4. SOME TREASURE IT.
* Under Soviet communism, the Word of God was difficult to have. A copy of it was very expensive. The few that had a copy treasured it above anything else they owned. In the mid-90s when I started going to Ukraine, I heard about missionaries giving out Bibles to people that desperately wanted one. One man that received one, a devout communist, hated God and the Bible. He tore the pages from the Bible one by one and the wind was blowing the pages away. One elderly woman with tears flowing began gathering up the scattering pages. She truly treasured God’s Word after living most of her life without it.
* David asked a rhetorical question in Psalm 119:9....
Ps 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
How do you live a righteous and moral life? By obeying God’s instructions found in the Bible. But, it’s not enough to just read it occasionally or just listen to your pastor teach about it. Must God’s Word. You must treasure it!
Ps 119:11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
* God uses His Word to transform us. To change us for the better.
1. The Action. Your word I have treasured in my heart,
Treasured- Hebrew word- also “stored up” or “hidden”. The idea is that you will store up what you treasure most.
Husband/wife- if you treasure your spouse, you spend time with them. You learn everything you can about them.... likes/dislikes. Your desire is to be pleasing to them.
* If one loves God, they will treasure His Word because we come to know and understand Him better through His Word.
2. The Result. That I may not sin against You.
When you treasure God’s Word, you will study it.
When you treasure God’s will, you will apply God’s Word to your life.
When you apply God’s Word to your life, you will be transformed into a moral, righteous child of God.
When you treasure His Word, you will not sin against Him.
What is your response to this Old Book today?
* Do you hate the Bible and its message because you don’t want to be confronted with your sin?
* Do you ignore God’s Word even though you have 10 Bibles in your house?
* Do you hunger for God’s Word and desperately need it, but live in Iran or China and have little access to the Bible? And persecution!
* Or do you treasure God’s Word and love Jesus Christ and apply His Word to your life so that you can be pleasing to Him?
* What is your response to This Old Book today?
