READING YOUR BIBLE
Hebrews 4:12
INTRODUCTION
1. Come up to the front reading the instruction manual for the telephone, whilst carrying other instruction manuals. Read a little to the congregation, and then dump them in a trash can, saying, well, I am a man, I know how this thing works, who needs the manuals anyway. Now lets us see, it looks like this plugs into this thingamawatchit, and this thing might plug into this and this. Oh no I have too many wires, and where does the fax plug in anyway.
2. I guess I will have to take time to read the manual, to see how this complex instrument works anyway.
3. Today, I want to talk to you about something that is much more complex and demanding than any phone system, more intricate in its nuances than any other thing that you could ever know.
4. This thing that we are talking about comes in two models, one is more logical than the other, who is more tender and emotional. Both of them are equally of much value in the eyes of the Designer and Creator. In fact He is very pleased with the way that they initially turned out. However, those that possessed these things, refused to use them in the way that they were intended, and ignored the operating instructions.
5. Beloved, I am talking about the human being, so lovingly formed in the dust of the earth, and so lovingly and gently given the breath of life. I am talking about the most beautiful creation ever formed out of the rib of man. There are two models, the male and the female, each one similar, and yet uniquely different and special.
6. Beloved, it is sad to think that we have taken something so perfect, magnificent, and beautiful, and have misused them against what they were created for. Man has taken this beautiful creation, and has corrupted it to the point that man can never say that he is without sin. Due to the state of our lives, we can only lament with the apostle Paul RO 7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
7. For many years, mankind would wander around in ignorance, not knowing exactly how they were to act, or how they worked. They would indulge in every harmful thing that destroyed their earthly body and their soul. There are still some like that today, who will not heed the warnings of the Creator, as they refuse to read the manual.
8. Yes everything that has been designed, has an operating manual full of instructions. The problem is, we think we know better, and charge full speed ahead into trouble. Drinking is not a problem. Smoking is not a problem, Drugs are not a problem. Adultery is not a problem. A loose tongue is not a problem. Selfishness is not a problem. Greed is not a problem. ETC.
9. Is there anyone here who wants to know what it is like to have peace, to have joy, to have contentment, to have your needs met, to be complete, lacking in nothing. For us to have a full and content life, we need to live our lives the way that our Creator designed us to live, and that way is found in the Holy Word of God our manual.
I. THE REALITY OF THE BIBLE.
A. The Bible Is Recorded By Scribes For God.
1. A Scribe is one who writes a letter or something on behalf of someone else. The words that are written down, are not the words, or the intent of the scribe, but he writes down each word that is spoken.
2. The Word of God, or the Bible, is the Holy Will of God for mankind, which He revealed and spoke to many scribes, called prophets, who painstakingly recorded every word, exactly as God said it.
3. There may be many who claim that this book is merely written by men, and that it is now outdated and very cultural, and so it cannot be believed in its entirety, and so therefore the reasoning of modern man needs to be believed rather than an archaic book.
B. The Accuracy And Unity Of The Bible.
1. The Bible was written over a 1500 year period, throughout 10 different countries, in 3 different languages, with over 40 authors from over 20 different occupations with every conceivable topic covered.
2. This Book, called the Bible, consists of 66 books, 1189 chapters, 31,000 verses, has a cast of 2930 people and 1551 places, is so diverse, and yet total unity is conveyed. It has over 2 billion copies published since 1455AD, and the same message is still conveyed.
3. What is even more unique about the Bible, is the Truthfulness and honesty about all the characters, even unfavorable reports are recorded in detail. If this is not God inspired, how could all this be?
4. Another amazing thing, is that the Bible is a historically accurate book (25,000 archeological sites corresponding to different details of the Bible) New archeological finds resolve perceived discrepancies...
5. There is more time placed into trying to disprove the Bible than any other religion or document. The amazing thing is, the more people search, the more supporting evidence is found. No archeological discovery has ever disproved a Biblical reference.
C. The Preservation Of The Bible
1. Beloved of Jesus, the Bible’s purity and preservation throughout history is miraculous. Scribes under the guidance of The Holy Spirit, preserved the accuracy of the text of the Bible. From the very beginning the Scriptures have been painstakingly and accurately copied.
2. The Bible’s earliest known copy is dated 120 AD... placing it less than 90 years after the fact. There are other findings, however, that point to even earlier date, but the parchment of those days (unless stored VERY well) didn’t last long. Later animal hide was used that would stand up to more years.
3. Just looking at some other books for reference, there were 7 copies of Plato’s 1st writing - 900 years after the fact. Aristotle’s 1st writing was 1400 years later, and the Iliad was 500 years later, and yet man does not dispute these writings. We find the Bible with the earlier date possibly even more accurate.
4. The Dead Sea scrolls, discovered last century, written during the time of Christ, when compared to the latest of translations, a span of approximately 2000 years, were found to have only one word was different, the word “light”, which was insignificant in translation.
II. THE LIVING WORD OF GOD
A. The Power Of The Word of God
1. Beloved, enough. I do not have to defend the Bible, as all who have read the Bible, and ingested its living words, know the powerful changes that come from eating these words.
2. I look back over my life, and I see how I have changed, and let me share with you, that it is not me that has been doing the changing. I have had the desire to change, but it is the Holy Spirit, by the Word of God that has changed me. 1PE 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
3. The Word of God changes the unlovely, and makes them lovely. I had a friend in Zimbabwe who was a missionary. He was over there eking out a living and preaching to all he could. He had spent time in the State penitentiary, but was changed by the Word of God. You see, they were all together, and when he woke up from his drug induced coma, there was the gun, and his girlfriend and friend were shot dead. To this day, he cannot remember anything, but he did time for it, and devoted his life to Jesus, and to now saving lives.
4. Do not, ever tell me that the Bible is just a bunch of words. Or a bunch of interesting cute stories. It is more than that. It is all powerful to change you and purify you. And make you holy and presentable to God the Father.
B. The Word Of God Is Living
1. Ever wonder why your life sometimes just seems to go crazy, and everything is all messed up? I will guarantee you, that you have got too busy to spend time reading your Bible.
2. HEB 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
3. The word of God needs to live in your soul each and every day, or you will surely begin to die. You are starving your soul of the nourishment that you need. It is living and active, and goes to work on the diseases that are in you, making you whole again.
4. Imagine for a moment, that you began by eating three meals a day, and then ran out of time, and dropped down to two, then because of time constraints just quit eating, saying to yourself, “I must really take time to eat, but never doing so. You will get weaker and weaker, and things will start to fall apart, until eventually, you will die. You may say, hey remember that fantastic meal we used to eat, and talk about the food, but never get any nourishment.
5. Some will quit feeding on the living Word of God, and talk about different meals that they used to have, but never take the time to eat, and so their souls shrivel up and become weaker and weaker, until their souls eventually die. They do not have life in them any more, as they did not eat life giving nourishment.
C. Feeding The God Of Your Soul
1. Beloved, If you do not spend time eating of the Word of God, you will starve the Hoy Spirit who is trying to work for you. The Bible tells us in EPH 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
2. It is like the wise Native American, who was sitting by the camp fire at night, with his grandson, when his grandson asked; “grandfather, as I grow older, I find a battle raging within me. It is like the bear and the wolf are fighting. The bear wants to do good, but the wolf who is bad prevents him and wants to do bad. I want the bear to win, but I am concerned. Who will win this battle in my soul.” After staring into the fire contemplating this dilemma, the Grandfather in all wisdom replied, “The one that you feed is the one that shall win.”
3. Beloved, we have a battle raging within us. It is Satan and all his forces arrayed against us and the Holy Spirit. Satan has built up strongholds, which must be assaulted and taken, and the only weapon that will do this is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
4. If you want to win, feed the Spirit, not the evil one. Paul discusses this in great detail in Romans, but I want to just share with you a little part of it. RO 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
III. EMPOWERING THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE.
So how are you to feed the Spirit of God, and how are you to grow in Christ? Here is a simple and easy way, but one that requires your dedication and discipline to do. You may feel tired and not want to, but you must force yourself if you want to succeed.
A. Personal Reading Of The Word Of God
1. Beloved, we need to spend personal time in the Word of God. That is time by ourselves with the very words of the Creator. It is in this time that you will find the Spirit of God becoming more and more powerful in your life.
2. You must set some personal time aside each and every day. It does not matter when you do it. Each person is different, and if I were to tell you that each of you must do it in the morning, that would be wrong. Some may like to read the Word in the morning, some during lunch time, some at night.
3. Be sure that you do not substitute some book or tape for your Bible reading. You must read the Word of God yourself, and allow the Holy Spirit reveal it to you. Reading a book, is letting someone else reveal the word of God to you. This is not bad, and is necessary, but it is vital you read God’s Word for yourself with prayer.
4. I know some who think that they can listen to preachers, or listen to Christian radio and get their daily bible word. NO! It is good to immerse yourself in God’s goodness, and all these things have their place, but I will say it again, Read God’s Word for yourself, and pray the Holy Spirit reveal the words to you.
B. Fellowshipping In The Word Of God.
1. Beloved, besides reading the Word of God for yourself, you also need to fellowship in the Word of God, where you are taught the Word of God. This is mentioned throughout the Scriptures.
EPH 4:21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
2. Here is also a tragedy. I go the church services on Sunday morning, and I get my fellowship Word of God there. Well, let me share with you, if you already know Jesus Christ, have been baptized, know to read your bible etc, all the basics of Christianity, that is all you are getting on Sunday mornings. If you come on Sunday evenings, we are looking into the faith walk and prophecies of Daniel. On Wednesday nights, we are growing with the Corinthians by the verse by verse study of the Word of God.
In Sunday School, we are looking what the Word of God says about setting of boundaries in life, so that we can live a productive Christian life, without being constantly manipulated or guilt motivated into things by others.
3. Another fellowship that is vital, is the getting together with other Christians, and the reading of the Word of God, and sharing with each other what the Holy Spirit revealed from the words read. POWERFUL STUFF!
4. Another learning fellowship, is by listening to beneficial preachers and teachers on tape or CD or on TV. Note I said beneficial, as there are many who do not teach the truth of the Word of God. You do not just want to put in time listening to someone drone on. Make sure it is the Word of God that is spoken.
5. Beloved, people may be thinking, this preacher is just trying to make us come to church more. Well I guess I am, because I know the benefits to the soul. The reason that I am telling you this, is because I see disease about to rack the souls of many who will not adequately feed the Spirit of God.
C. Praising From The Word Of God.
1. Another way to empower the Holy Spirit in your life, is through praise, and one of the best ways to praise God, is by praying the Psalms. Understand this. What can we say to God that will praise Him? The Psalms are God’s own word that praise Him, use them to praise the Creator.
2. You can either pray them or sing them to the Creator, no matter how bad your voice. It goes through a transformation by the Holy Spirit, and it sounds beautiful to God. Praise releases the hold that oppression and depression can have on the lives of people who are fighting the good fight.
3. Be genuinely thankful to God, and watch the goodness begin pouring into your life. Thankfulness and praise releases and empowers the Holy Spirit to work in your life. One of the best ways is to speak the Word of God back to God, especially the promises that He has made to us. “Thank you Lord for saying ‘Never will I leave you, nor forsake you’”!
4. COL 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
CONCLUSION
1. Brothers and Sisters, the Word of God is all powerful. Is there anyone who wants to overcome the pain and suffering of this life?
2. First believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the only Lord and Savior.
3. Secondly, confess that He is so, before men.
4. Thirdly, repent of your sins.
5. Fourthly, be buried with Christ in Christian Baptism, having your sins washed away.
6. Fifthly, receive the Holy Spirit, who will purify you through the Word of God.
7. The Bible tells us 2TI 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.
8. The Word of God is useless however to the one who does not have the Holy Spirit to reveal it to him. (He may get some revelation, but who is doing the revealing.) We only get the Holy Spirit through Baptism into Christ.
9. Come today, and know Christ.
