5. Live by the Word

Introduction

Elementary science: Plants need three things to grow—soil, water, and sun. Christians need three things to follow Jesus—the Spirit, the Word, and the Church.

The Word… According to a Pew Research Study, 82% of American Christians say they only read the Bible on Sundays they go to church. And 56% of American Christians report that they attend church services once or twice a month or less. That means the vast majority of Christians in the U.S. only read their Bibles a few times a year, when they happen to be in church.

As Christians, we are supposed to be people of the Word.

Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NET), “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

This week, I read an atheist’s critique of Christians: “I’ve only met a few Christians in my life that have even read the Bible. Most don’t even know what it teaches. They put their faith in a book they haven’t read. It’s the blind leading the blind.”

Three Sermons About the Bible

Why should we believe the Bible is God’s Word?

Archeological evidence

Literary evidence

Transformative evidence

Hasn’t the Bible done more harm than good in human history?

Ethical and moral framework

Positive social influence (equality for women, slavery = evil)

Healthcare, orphan care, education, and science

What does a book written thousands of years ago have to do with today?

The Golden Rule (Matt 7:12)

The Value of Love (Mark 12:30-31)

The importance of caring for the vulnerable (James 1:27)

The Problem

Most of us believe…

The Bible is relevant and has wisdom for our lives today.

It’s important to read the Bible… And most of us wish we read it more often (we want to want to).

The Bible is God’s Word for us (what a magnificent gift).

But most of us don’t read it. Why?

The #1 Reason People Give: “I have been really busy.” Pastor Erik Raymond says, “Busyness may be a reality but it’s not a reason.” Many people who are “too busy” to read the Bible are up to date on the news, spend time on social media, watch movies, and know the stats from last week’s football game. And many of the busiest people I know still make time to read their Bibles regularly. So, let’s be honest, it’s not that we don’t have time to read the Bible but that we don’t make time to read the Bible.

God convicted me of that this week.

Why don’t we make time to read the Bible? There are probably multiple reasons, but perhaps the biggest one is that we don’t find Bible reading to be all that impactful in our lives.

Subject: How can we read the Bible in a life-changing way? How can we engage Scripture in a way that makes a difference?

One Thing to Try

Stop reading about God… … … … and start reading with God.

When I discovered this, it changed my life. I fell in love with the beauty of truth in God’s Word and the experience of God’s presence, and I couldn’t put my Bible down.

How do you read the Bible with God? Think about children. How do you read with a child?

Read… meditate… pray… rest… do.

Practice: Psalm 19:7-11