Why Want The Word

(The thoughts and ideas for this lesson are attributed to Tommy Vernon (now deceased) who encouraged me to preach as a young man.

Psa 119:105 Thy word a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Paul told Timothy the preacher to preach the word "in season and out of season".......Do we as hearers want the word in season and out of season (in other words always) Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

How much do you want the word?

Do you want the word if it is different from your belief ?

Do you want the word more than feelings, or experiences or still small voices? (Some religions put direct revelations from God in direct opposition to the written word, letting their feelings or experiences with God dictate their actions contrary to the written word.

But we should want the word...

The Holy writ began to be written over 3500 years ago, but it’s message is still relevant today. It is the oldest book the world has in existence. The Bible holds the distinction of being the first printed book and the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible is today the best selling book in the world. The Bible contains 3,536,489 letters, 773,693 words, 31,173 verses, 1,189 chapters and 66 books. The word "and" occurs 46,277 times and the word "reverend" but once. (And by the way refers to God not man)

The existence of the Bible is almost a miracle (not in the sense of a Bible miracle), but in the sense that it is one of a kind in that it came down through the ages to us today intact and as a unit. It has withstood its enemies, man has tried to burn it out of existence, man has given his life to preserve it, its pages are stained with the blood of martyrs. It has withstood because God is in it and with it. It has withstood false religions. It has withstood the negligence of its friends.

The Bible is printed in around 2500 languages and dialects. It is produced in a new dialect at the rate of 1 every 6 weeks. More than 1 million copies annually are sold every year. Someone has said thought the Bible is the best selling book of all time, it is also the lease read book of all time. Too many of us are willing to let our faith rest upon preacher’s and teacher’s words and not upon our own investigation.

In 1360, John Wycliff began translating the Bible into english. He completed his work in 1382, 22 years later. Back then pages were copied by hand, it took more than 10 months to copy one Bible. Some one must have wanted the Bible back then......men would sometimes pay $100 for just one page of the Bible just to read its words. Why did men want the Bible this badly?

Why should we desire it today?

Reasons why we should want the word:

1. It is from God....it is His word. John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak....This passage in the Bible teaches that the word came from God.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:....the Spirit through the inspired word reveals unto the Christian that we are God’s children.

The Bible is written for man. 1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

So the Spirit, (Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, the third person in the Godhead, God the Spirit----------always capitalized.......

So the Spirit beareth witness, furnishes testimony. The Spirit furnished Philip with instruction on the Gaza road in Acts 8. The Spirit told Philip to go near and join thyself to this chariot. God spoke directly to Philip.

1 Cor 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

We use words to convey our thoughts. No one knows what we think unless we tell them. No one knows what God thinks unless He speaks to them through His word-------we use words to convey our thoughts. So does God.

John says in, 1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. ...the Spirit beareth witness. The Spirit is also truth.