Why Do I Need The Bible?
Psalm 119:11; Psalm 19:7-14
Heb. 4:12-13; 1 Peter 1:23-25
Pastor Greg Mc Donald
I want to start this mornings message with asking you a question. “Why Do I Need The Bible? What’s so great about this Book? If I was to ask you this question, what would you say to me? What scriptures would you show me to make me believe that I needed to read it?
In today’s society there are so many THINGS people need, but one of the THINGS they seem to think they don’t need is the scriptures. If I was to ask you how much do you read the Bible, what would you tell me? A better question to ask I think would be, “How important is the Bible to you”? How much do you value it?
In the world today, we have more access to the Bible then ever before, but there seems to be a famine for the Word of God. Why is that? It’s because people don’t understand the value of it! If your Bible kept a dairy, would it read this.
January: A busy time for me. Most of the family decided to read me through this year. They kept me busy for two weeks. I’m now forgotten.
February: My owner used me for a few minutes last week. He had an argument and was checking references.
March: Grandpa visited us. He kept me on his lap for an hour, reading 1 Cor.13
April: I had a busy day. My owner was appointed a leader of something and used me. I got to go to church the first time this year...Easter Sunday.
May: I have a few grass stains on my pages. Had some early spring flowers pressed in me.
June: I look like a scrap book. They have stuffed me full of clippings. One of the girls got married.
July: They put me in a suitcase today. I guess we’re of on vacation. I wish I could stay at home, as I will have to stay in this thing for a month.
August: Still in suitcase.
September: Back home again, and in my old place. I have lots of company. Two “Field and Streams” and Four “Readers Digest” are on top of me. I wish I could be read as much as they are.
October: They used me a little today. One of them is sick. Right now I’m all shine up and in the center of the table...I think the preacher is coming.
November: Back in my old place.
December: They are getting ready for Christmas. I’ll be covered under wrapping papers and packages.
If your Bible kept a dairy, would it be like this one? We could all look at this Illustration and think it’s funny and cute, but for many I believe this is what happens to their Bibles. Many Christians run around in defeat because they don’t know what the scriptures say.
*Even the enemy knows the scriptures and he will try to use them against you. Look at Eve.
How much time does it take to read from Genesis to Revelation? If you would read the Bible at standard pulpit speed (slow enough to be heard and understood) the reading time would be 71 hrs. If you would break that down into minutes and divide it into 365 days you could read the entire Bible, cover to cover, in only 12 minutes a day.
But let me ask you, is this to much to ask of a Christian? To take 12 minutes a day and just sit down, relax, and learn about Someone who loves you more than anything. Is this to much to ask of someone to learn about the reaches and power they have as God’s children? Is this to much to ask of someone to read that which encourages them and instructs them keeping them from sinning?
It Can Keep You From Sinning Read Psalm 119:11
The Word of God is powerful enough to keep you from sinning if you would only take 12 minutes a day to hide it in your heart. READ (James 1:22-25) Then spending the remainder of the day being a doer of the Word and becoming blessed.
Pickle Illustration: A cucumber doesn’t become a pickle by just dipping it into all the right ingredients. It has to marinade in it for a long time. Also the cucumber while in the canning jar, it must be put into a pressure cooker over heat. Many times as we read God’s Word and get a new revelation of what it is saying, we are getting the right ingredients put in, but don’t forget there is still the heat and press that follows. So today when you go home and the rest of the week you have the Lord’s permission to JUST GET PICKLED!!!
What I’m getting at, is that there seems to be a neglect of reading and applying God’s Word to our every day lives. Do we really know what we are missing out on?
Read Psalm 19
In this Psalm David says a lot about the Word of God that should be uplifting and encouraging to each of us. Look at vv.7-9, “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether”.
In these verses there are six synonyms used for the Word Of God: 1) The law of the Lord 2) The testimony of the Lord 3) The statutes of the Lord 4) The commandment of the Lord 5) The fear of the Lord 6) The judgements of the Lord.
And there are attributes and benefits to describe the Word of God: 1) Perfect, converting the soul 2) Sure, making wise the simple 3) Right, rejoicing the heart 4) Pure, enlightening the eyes 5) Clean, enduring forever 6) True and righteous altogether.
Read Ps 19:11-14 Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.13 Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Through out these verses we can learn several things from David. By the Word of God we are warned, and by keeping them there is a great reward. Another is that we have secret faults that we need to be cleansed from. We learn that we need to pray to be kept back from presumptuous sins.
And we can learn what we need to pray. That the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in God’s sight.
What kind of heart do you have? An important thing to remember is, how we react to the Word reveals our true character.
A. Some are so “dull of heart”, that they react with insensibility and say “so what?”
B. Some are “cut to the heart”, angrily resist the Word, and blame the messenger.
C. Some are “cut to the heart”, and cry out, “what shall I do?”
God’s Word Is Living And Powerful.
Heb 4:12-13 For 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. 13 And 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. NAS
According to this scripture God’s Word is not some dead letter. It is “Alive and powerful”.
Here are some other scriptures to show it is alive and powerful.
1. It has the power to accomplish its intended purpose - Isa.55:10-11
2. The gospel in particular has the power to save - Romans 1:16-17; James 1:21
3. Through God’s Word we can be born again - 1 Peter 1:22-23; James 1:18
4. It works effectively in those who believe - 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb.4:2
5. It can build us up, and give us the inheritance that is ours - Acts 20:32
6. It can make the man of God complete for all good works - 2 Tim. 3:16-17
So tell me, something with so much power to change a life isn’t it worth reading? With such a “Living” and “Powerful” word at our disposal, we would be foolish to neglect the blessings it offers, or the warnings it gives!
It Lives and Abides Forever
1 Peter 1:22-2:3 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. 24 For,"All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, 25 But the word of the Lord abides forever. "And this is the word which was preached to you. 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. NAS
vv.23-25, stress that God’s Word “Lives” and “Abides” forever. Jesus also spoke of this indestructibility of the Word of God "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. Matt 24:35
Now, we can look at all this and see what the Bible is and has to offer. But, there is something according to Peter that we must have. That is the proper desire for the Word.
We are to be like new born babes who desire milk. Just as babies long for milk, we are to long for the Word of God
But do our present attitudes towards the Word indicate such a longing? Do we demand regular feeding upon the Word?
If we feasted upon food as often as we feasted upon the Word, would we survive physically?
Here, listen to these scriptures about feeding on the Word of God.
Matt 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, ’Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’"NAS
Ps 119:165 Those who love Thy law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. NAS
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found and I ate them, And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; NAS
Failure to have this longing for the Word of God is a main reason for the lack of spiritual growth in many today. It is why many do not overcome sin in their lives. But according to 1John 2:14 if the Word abides in us we will overcome the evil one.
1 John 2:13-15 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. NAS
Closing:
Write the Word of God upon your heart today and apply them to your life and Overcome the evil one by reminding him as Jesus did and telling him “IT IS WRITTEN”.
