Introduction:
When you buy a new tool, appliance or even certain toys for kids, what one item will you most likely find accompanying the new item.
A Manual
This manual is here to instruct you as to what pieces are inside, how to assemble and how to operate the item.
Now most men, don’t necessarily need the manual because we just know how to do it based on the picture on the front of the box. So we assemble until we feel it is finished, then we end up with a few extra pieces that apparently should go somewhere. So we finally get the manual out and look to see if the manufacturer has included some extra pieces in case we were to lose one. Of course, there’s not supposed to be extra pieces. So we search the manual and find some important steps that would have been helpful to know about an hour ago when we were trying to figure out how that piece attached to the other. So we end up tearing it apart and start over by using the manual, which would have saved us the headache if we would’ve just looked at it in the first place. That is why it’s there, but we seem to have to do it our own way a lot of the time.
Well, the same goes for life in general. Did you know God has given us a manual? It is the Bible, His very Word. Over the next 4 weeks I will be doing a sermon series entitled the Manual. We will begin today by looking at the Purpose of God’s Word. We will then look at Feeding on the Word, Knowing the Word, and finally the Power of the Word. It is very important for each of us to be in the Word as often as we can. It is more beneficial than you may know. It is amazing the lack of knowledge there is in people knowing the Bible.
Interesting Statistics:
1. Knowledge of Scripture is at an all time low:
- 1 out of 3 people read the Bible this past week
- 1/3 say that the Bible is irrelevant to their lives today
2. 8 out of 10 Americans believe that Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and resurrected, and still spiritually alive today, but also,
- 4 out of 10 believe Jesus made mistakes
- 1 out of 3 believe God is someone other than the God of the Bible
- 3 out of 5 do not believe in Satan
- Half believe all religions are basically the same
There is a major gap in our society that is missing the TRUTH of God’s Word. I remember asking past youth groups to turn in their Bibles to 2 Timothy and the question I would get in response was, Is that Old or New Testament? I would even throw a fake book name at them and watch many of them race to find it. Like Zechaniah 4:12. There is no Zechaniah 4:12. There is no Zechaniah. There is Zechariah and Zephaniah, but no Zechaniah. This is a sad fact and what’s worse, this is the kids that are growing up in the church. We need to get back to teaching the fundamentals of the Bible. What is it?
The Bible --- the Word of God, is still the most Interesting, Intriguing, and Inspiring book ever read by human eyes. It is that Book that helps unfold the Divine plan of God.
It can Encourage you when you are down
It will Convict you when sin is prevalent in your life
It gives you Hope when everything else seems hopeless
It will Challenge you to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you.
It is filled with the most important Truth anyone could ever know.
We should feel privileged and honored that God has shared His Word with us in its written form. As Christians, we need to share all that is written inside so that those outside of a personal relationship with Christ may know the Gift that God offers to all humanity.
Today, our focus in on the PURPOSE of the Word of God. It comes in many versions as you can see here, and it has been referred to as:
- Holy Bible
- God’s Word
- Holy Scriptures
- Good Book
Many versions and many references, but one underlying truth:
GOD IS FAITHFUL
This is one important theme that we can find when reading the Bible.
Let us now turn to 2 Timothy in the 3rd chapter starting at 16th verse.
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
It is so very important to be in God’s Word daily. To read, to learn to study and remember. Each of us should be making this a part of our daily routine and disciplining ourselves to do it. It is the greatest Book ever that we can learn from.
Now the Greek term theopneustos when broken down gives us our meaning, theos = God, and pneuma = breath. This is where we get the term God-breathed. To say that all scripture is God-breathed is to say that it is from the very mouth of God. It has actually been breathed out of the mouth of God.
That is how the Bible is described.
ALL scripture is God-breathed. Even though men were used to write it down, it was given to them through the power of the Holy Spirit as God breathed out the words to be recorded.
Also in this passage, we find that the scriptures are useful for people in 4 specific areas:
1. Teaching – The Greek term, didaskalia, means “that which is taught, doctrine.” The Bible is our source of truth and is filled with the doctrine upon which our faith is built and to guide us in our daily life decisions.
2. Rebuking – The Greek word for rebuke is elegchos, which means, “to convict of error and to rebuke.” This is what the Holy Spirit uses when He wants to show us where we have gone astray.
3. Correcting – Epanorthosis is the Greek term which means, “restoration to an upright or right state.” After we undergo the rebuking fro the Scriptures, then God’s Word goes on to lead us to that which is the right direction again.
4. Training – Paideia means “instruction and discipline given with the goal of raising a child to maturity.” The Bible is what we need to be reading when we first become a Christian and by continual reading and study, it is the Bible that leads us from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.
Inspired Scripture is "useful" or "profitable" in various areas: "teaching" us Christian truths; "rebuking" or convicting us of sin; "correcting" us where we have gone wrong; "training" us in how to live both inwardly and outwardly in righteous living.
The purpose of all this is so that Christians will be completely
ready to meet the demands of discipleship. It is not an easy task, but one that can be accomplished by the person who gives themselves fully over to trusting God’s Word to be true.
I knew a counselor who used a certain method for people to come to grips with the truth going on in their lives. He says:
Daily:
1.Tell yourself the truth. 2. Act as if it were true.
