Why Do We Read Scripture?

Object Lesson

The importance of instructions: Puzzle race, but one of them has to do it upside down?

Introduction

Illustration: I can’t do a puzzle without looking at the box. I can’t build furniture without reading the instructions. Most at home projects I can’t do without some sort of tutorial.

God has given us the ultimate instruction booklet in the Bible. It’s more than that but certainly not less than that. Today we are continuing our summer series simply called “Why?” and asking our second “why” question: Why do we read Scripture? Through this series our goal is to take nothing for granted and question everything we do as a church and try to find the Biblical reason for doing it instead of just doing it because we always have.

Yet that begs the question, why should our reasons for doing things be Biblical? Why is it so important for every Christian to know their Bible well? How concerned should we be with people not believing in the Bible, or believing that the Bible is just allagory? Why should we take time out of our already jam packed days to spend time reading Scripture, even when it makes our eyes feel quite heavy? Is that just me?

These are important questions because the Bible is an important book. Fun fact as an aside, did you know that the word “bible” comes from the word “book” meaning that we call it “the Bible” because it’s the book. The most important one. Why is it important? Because it makes some pretty giant sized claims in its pages. It claims that there is a loving God who made the entire universe. It claims that this same God will judge us for how we’ve lived our lives. It tells us that none of us meet God’s standard and will face the consequences for our actions for eternity. It also tells us how to be made right with God and live forever. If what the Bible says is true, than it changes literally everything about life as we know it.

For that reason alone we should investigate the claims of the Bible and if we have good reason to believe that it’s true we should dedicate the rest of our lives to knowing it well. Not only does it teach big philosophical and theological truths, it also gives us commands. God instructs us on the things that we should and should not do. If obedience to God’s will is important as His disciples, and it is, than we must study the Bible so we know what His will is in order to follow it.

So today we will answer the question “Why Do We Read Scripture?” in three main ways:

Because Scripture is God-Breathed

The Church is Called to Scripture

Scripture helps us Grow as Disciples

So without further ado, let’s dive in.

Scripture is God-Breathed

Illustration: The author of the book is essential. If I wrote a book on hockey, no one would read it. If Wayne Gretzky wrote a book on hockey it would be a best seller.

So who is the author of the Bible? Well the Bible is actually a collection of 66 different books by a number of different human authors, but those authors claim to have been inspired by God Himself. Paul says as much to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16

2 Timothy 3:16 CSB

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,

Similarly, when Jesus quotes Scripture to the Sadducees He quotes the Scriptures as being the very words of God. We read this in Matthew 22:31

Matthew 22:31 CSB

Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God:

The author of Hebrews also joins this chorus of Bible authors that speaks of the words of the prophets and of Jesus as the very words of God in Hebrews 1:1-2.

Hebrews 1:1–2 CSB

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.

Now I know that for many if not all of you I’m preaching to the choir here. This church believes strongly in the inspiration of Scripture. Yet for the sake of argument and open mindedness let’s ask a tough question. Besides the claims of Scripture itself and the church that arose from it, do we have any good reason to believe that the Bible is the very word of God? Many skeptics have claimed that we use circular reasoning with the Bible. We say its inspired and then point to its own words to back it up. Can we do any better than that? Well what would be the best evidence that a book was written by God? The best that I can think of would be fulfilled prophecy. If God spoke and told the human authors things that would happen before they would happen. Do we have examples of this?

One of the most startling comes in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel chapter 36 the prophet predicts not only the fact that the city of Tyre will be destroyed, but who will first breech its defenses and how it would ultimately be destroyed. The prophet says that the stones of the city will be torn down and thrown into the sea and that nothing but bare rock will remain of the city. You see the main city of Tyre was located on an island, with some parts of the city being on the mainland. When Alexander the Great came against the city the citizens fled the mainland and all fortified themselves within the island. So what did Alexandar do? He tore down all the stone structures and hurled them into the sea, creating a bridge of stone to march his troops over to the city and thus fulfilling the prophecy. There’s a guy on YouTube named Mike Winger who does a great breakdown of this prophecy and its historical fulfillment. I’ll try to remember to put a link to it in the description of the video of this sermon that we post on YouTube.

More relevant to our journey as disciples specifically would be the many, many prophecies about the Messiah and their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazereth. I did a whole Sermon series on Jesus in the Old Testament, so we’ll stick to just one of the more obvious ones, Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53 (CSB)

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.

Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.

He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.

Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied.

By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

This passage is so obviously about the death of Jesus that many synagogues will skip over reading it in their Scripture readings. It’s a powerful passage, and only one of many that testify to the fact that Jesus is the son of God, and independently varifiable accounts back up that what they said indeed came to pass.

So then if the Bible is the inspired word of God, it is certainly worthy of our attention and even our devotion. Yet we do not read Scripture merely because we know that God wrote it, but also because God has called us to read, study, and meditate on Scripture.

The Church is Called to Scripture

Illustration: In a sea of books out there it’s sometimes hard to know what to read next. I tend to rely a lot on recommendations. In the case of the Bible it was not only authored by God but comes with a recommendation from God.

You see it’s not enough for God to write a book, we have to actually read it for us to know what it says and what it calls us to as disciples. This is why in multiple places throughout Scripture God calls His people to dedicate themselves to His Word that He has given to them. Consider the words of God to Joshua when He was about to march with God’s people into the promised land in Joshua 1:7-8

Joshua 1:7–8 CSB

Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

Now if I were to find and read every passage where God’s people are called to read God’s word than we would be here a very long time. So just take my word for it, it comes up a lot. Not only that but there are also tons of Psalms praising God’s Word, calling us to thankfulness to God for the fact that He gave them a Law. This of course continues into the New Testament, and like we discussed last week was one of the chief priorities of the New Testament Church. Acts 2:42 says,

Acts 2:42 CSB

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

None of this has changed in nearly 2000 years. We are still called as a church to devote ourselves to the Scriptures, both the apostles teachings in the New Testament as well as the words of the Prophets in the Old. It’s all God’s Word and God is urging us to pick it up and read it. God is still calling out to us all today to read the Bible that He wrote for us. Really His love letter telling us the history of all that He did to redeem us.

Yet not only is the Bible authored ultimately by God, not only is God calling us as a church to read His Word, but also it is a practical resource for us as disciples.

It Helps us Grow as Disciples

Illustration: Everything that grows requires food. The quality of the food determines the quality of the growth.

In multiple places the Bible compares the words of God with food, and when it comes to spiritual growth the Bible is Super Food. It’s the only fuel that helps us to grow into the disciples that Jesus wants us to be. Peter says as much in 1 Peter 2:2

1 Peter 2:2 CSB

Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,

As a father of three children I can attest to the amazing growth that takes place in an infant when all they’re eating is milk. Already Eliza has grown so much on her biologically enforced liquid diet. This is what Peter has in mind for us with God’s word. It is the milk that sustains us and grows us in the beginning of our discipleship journey, and yet at the same time the meat that we move on to when we grow in discipleship if we stay with it.

The Psalmist compares it not with food but with light by which we see in Psalm 119:105

Psalm 119:105 (CSB)

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

A familiar verse if you’ve heard the hymn that’s based on it. We are given a picture of seeing our path clearly by the light of God’s word, meaning that by contrast we fumble around in the dark without it. The result of the sustanance and guidance of Scripture is that it produces hope and endurance in us, as Paul says in Romans 15:4

Romans 15:4 CSB

For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.

So the Bible isn’t important just because God wrote it, or just because He tells us to read it, but also because it transforms us, we grow by it, it changes our very lives. Yet there’s an important note we need to make at this point. Just passing your eyes over the words of Scripture is not enough. Nor is it enough just to hear me talk about it. James gives a caution to those who would just listen to the word and not do what it says in James 1:22-25

James 1:22–25 CSB

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

God has given us the free will to obey or to disobey. So when we are given the word we have a chance to either listen to it and change or to ignore it and to move on. So it is in part up to us how effective God’s word is in shaping us to become the men and women of God that we are meant to be. Will we be hearers of the word only, or will we be doers.

I say that we ought to strive to be doers. Those who dedicate ourselves to doing what Scripture says no matter the cost. Of course on our own strength we cannot do this, as we can see from reading the history of the nation of Israel. They tried and failed to live up to God’s law. Though it was perfect, they were not and they could not keep it. We need God’s help to keep God’s law because we are so limited and flawed as human beings. Thankfully God doesn’t leave us alone but sends us the Holy Spirit to help us when we are weak. So we pray for God’s strength to live by God’s word so that it can help to shape us into God’s people for God’s glory.

Conclusion

So here we are at the end of the second sermon in our Why series, where we question what we are doing as Disciples of Jesus and whether we can be doing it better in order to grow in our discipleship with Jesus and to learn how to better invite others into discipleship with Him. So how do we answer today’s question, “Why Do We Read Scripture?” We read Scripture because we believe that the words of Scripture were inspired by the loving God who created the entire Universe. We read Scripture because through it God is calling us to engage His words and learn from them. We read Scripture because when we read His words and live by them He transforms us into the men and women of God that He created us to be.

So as we begin another week of living as God’s church let us challenge ourselves and each other to dig into God’s word and thus grow to be more and more like His Son with every day that passes. Let’s close with the words of 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16–17 CSB

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Let us Pray.