What to do with God’s word.
Jeremiah 23:23-29 23 "Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? 24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.
25 "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ’I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. 29 "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Today I would like to talk about the importance of the bible for our lives today:-
I want to share a couple of illustrations:-A lady of society was gazing upon an image she had never seen before in the city’s art museum. "My dear fellow," she said condescendingly to the Curator, "I have never seen this painting before. I find the image shallow and rather crude in appearance. What do you call this?" The curator answered without giving the slightest expression," That madam, is a mirror." The lady’s vision was not very focused.
Losing focus on the Jesus of Scripture blurs our own view—not only of Christ—but of ourselves, as well. The Bible is also a great mirror. We may go to it to observe its content with a critical eye, but in the end, we are under its criticism. (Sermon Central.)
Joel Pankow talking on the scripture we have read from Jeremiah said Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" For those of you who have gone camping, you know how important a fire is at night. On a cold night it keeps you warm. In the dark it gives light. The smoke chases off the bugs. You can grill sausages and marshmallows with fire. You can purify water with fire. It keeps animals away. And it’s also fun just to sit and look at. It’s a very powerful tool. God said, that’s what my word is like! A fire! It’s powerful - it can penetrate your stony soul! It can warm up your cold heart! It can purify you! It can give you light in this dark world! It can distinguish the truth from error! Luther said, If you take the Word away it is like taking the sun away from the earth. If the Word were removed, what would the world be but a hell and a mere realm of Satan.For only the Word keeps a joyful conscience, a gracious God, and all of religion, since out of the Word, as from a spring, flows our entire religion....
I came across this rather wonderful quotation last week from Paul Scherer:-
The whole bible, from cover to cover , is concerned with this riddle............ Whether or not the universe at it’s centre is, or ever was, intelligent purposeful and kind; if it means something still, and means that something intensely; if, as someone has put it, there is a great yawning hole in the middle of things, through which all energy and vision, all lives and prayer and sacrifice, shall be poured at the last and lost or if God is there! These (sixty six) books gather all their things together, fill their lungs and with a mighty shout proclaim that he is!
In our own age we can view a number of serious errors three of which I think will highlight the broad spectrum of problems that are created by the dethroning of the bible in our own age.
One problem is that people are persistently adding to what the bible says or taking away from it with complicated explanations. Liberals tend to do this when they decide to say this does not mean that - it means this. God did not say we can’t sin in this way or that - of course we can - after all is God not a God of love. The homosexual debate is an example of this. The devil when he lied to Adam and Eve questioned God’s word - His big question was - GE 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?" We have to be really careful of that one.
I think the last words of the bible in Revelation chapter 22 are a chilling reminder of the eternal dangers of making such an error:- REV 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
A second problem is that people will highlight one part of the scriptures over another - That can be a huge mistake. William P. White said: The bible is a harp with a thousand strings. Play on one to the exclusion of its relationship to the others, and you will develop discord. Play on all of them, keeping them in their places in the divine scale, and you will hear heavenly music all the time.
A third problem which has particularily grown out of the post Charismatic period of the church is the problem of hearing God speak without checking that word with scripture. Many Christian communities now hold a slender thread to the bible - this is a dangerous and silly thing to do. I get nervous when people come to me and say "God said" -it is great that people are open to the voice of God but when doubtful statements are credited to God, when they don’t quite seem to line up with scripture - there is cause for concern. You see the passage from Jeriamiah chapter 23 that we read this morning helps get it into perspective 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. 29 "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" Here Jeremiah compares Prophecy and God’s word like the comparison between straw and grain. Both have their place but grain is vastly superior to straw.- Of course an adherance and dependance on scripture with a neglect on the work of the Holy Spirit will also not be helpful. The old saying All word and no Spirit and you dry up all Spirit and no word and you blow up -Word and Spirit and you grow up! holds here.
Recently I heard a Television evangelist making a shocking interpretation of scripture it was plain old fashioned sloppy and encouraged me to preach this morning just to remind people about the importance of getting this matter right.
Lets consider the scripture for this morning:-
2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The primary reference is to the OT, since some of the NT books had not even been written at this time. (See 1Ti 5:18; 2Pe 3:15-16 for indications that some NT books--or material ultimately included in the NT --were already considered equal in authority to the OT Scriptures.) God-breathed. Paul affirms God’s active involvement in the writing of Scripture, an involvement so powerful and pervasive that what is written is the infallible and authoritative word of God.
Considering this passage this morning I would like to ask two questions of this passage What does God want us to know about the bible and what does he want us to do in light of this knowledge?
All Scripture is God-breathed - Paul tells us that the Scriptures come from the very lungs of God - God would have us know that if we want a reference point for life then the scriptures are that point. We need to take very seriously the word of God. It is not as if someone sat down and God dictated the scriptures word for word but it is that the Holy Spirit was so vitally involved in the gifting of the scriptures to us that we can be confident that when we read the bible we are encountering the word of God. We are encountering what it is that God wants us to know.
RA Torrey once said The truly wise man is he who believes the bible against the opinion of any man. If the bible says one thing, and any body of men says another, the wise man will decide, "This book is the Word of him who cannot lie."The greek word translated "inspiration" is "theopneustos" which literally means, "God-breathed"
I believe that the words Paul chose when he said all scripture is God breathed are of particular significance.
In GE 2:4 we read: This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens--( 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground--) 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
It is God’s breath that gave us life in the first place as Job said:-
JOB 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
So when we find that our life owes it’s nature to the breath of God and the scripture finds it’s origin to the breath of God we find in the bible words that will give us life.
The bible is not a dead book it is full of the life of God.
It is full of the very thing we are made of - it is compatible with us because both come from the breath of God.
It is full of hope because in it we find God through Jesus holding out to us the gift of eternal life.
If God wants us to know that, what then should we do about it?
We can take confidence in the word of God as a directory for our lives.
Jesus once said :-
LK 8:21 He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice."
Not only is the scripture God breathed but also: - 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
The scriptures are to be our main guide and source of instruction.
Where do you think we should get our guidance to live in this day and age?
If my Great Grandfather were alive today if somehow he was able to time travel from the late 19th century to now, as a young man, what would strike him?
He would see technological developments that even his contemporary Jules Verne could only dream about in steam driven fantasies.
But he would also see a world of such moral and cultural difference that his waxed 19th century mustache would curl and hide up his nostril for protection.
In such a 21st century world we need contemporary answers and contemporary thoughts -
Where will we find such answers:-
Answer from the scriptures - Paul says the scriptures are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
The word of god is never out of date. It precisely fits the situations you will face in the week ahead.
You won’t find those answers in modern Philosophy nor in the gobbly gook of contemporary thought.
A woman went to the post office to mail a Bible to her son who was in college. "Madam," asked the postal clerk, "does this package contain anything breakable?" "Only the Ten Commandments," she replied.
We need to be using the scriptures as a helpful reminder as how we are to live and act.
Bishop Warren A. Candler was preaching to a large audience using as his text the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to God and were struck dead. The old bishop roared: "God doesn’t strike people dead for lying like he used to. If he did, where would I be?" This got a laugh from his audience, then he retorted, "I tell you where I would be. I would be right here preaching to an empty house!"
What God would have you know is that the primary place where you can learn is the bible and what he would have you do is to constantly go to the scriptures for guidance and learning.
The third point is 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
If there is anything that the world needs today it is "good work".
We need to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The bible is not a book that you only need to know - your knowledge needs to extend into your life. It should change what you actually do.
You need to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Jesus said, and it is recorded in John chapter 7:- 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
When you apply the scriptures to your life the goodness of God will flow from you. In Micah chapter 6 the prophet talks about putting what we have learned of God into action.
MIC 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Act justly - love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
This is applied scripture. If you go to the Chemist for a cure for some sore on your body and he gives some medicine or ointment imagine putting the cure on your windowsill - daily reading the instructions. Having meetings together to pore over the instructions but never once applying it to your wounds.
Sadly this is what many do with the bible the pore over it but fail to apply it
We will not do this What we will do is what Paul instructs Timothy:-
2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Ephesians chapter 2 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. God has prepared good works for you to do.
You won’t do them unless you read and study your bible.
This is a community thing teaching - rebuking - correcting and training are Christian community exercises.
If we were to summarise then
We can have confidence in the word of God as a directory for our lives.
The scriptures are to be our main guide and source of instruction.
The scriptures will thoroughly equip us for every good work.
One other thing you can do!
Read it Daily!!!.
