Study to Shew Thyself Approved

Scripture

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV 1900

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 KJV 1900

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The Value of Scripture

If I were to ask you if you knew what the Bible said how would you respond? I’m guessing most of us would say we have a pretty good idea what the Bible says. But what if I changed the question a little bit. What if I asked you, of all the things contained in the Bible what percentage do you know? I am not saying have memorized, but know the sense of, know the teaching even if you aren’t quite sure where it is? Of all the things contained in the Bible, how many of those things do you know?

Now I will admit this is a little bit of trick question for the deeper into scripture you dig the more apparent it is that it’s depths are bottomless, its riches are endless, and its knowledge is infinite. So I guess in that sense none of us can know any particular percentage of infinite.

But in another sense we can know very well what is contained within the pages of scripture. There are many who have memorized the entire Bible word for word. These know well all that is contained within scripture. Even my dad had at one point memorized the entirety of the New Testament. So while its depths remain endless we can know what scripture says. The question this evening is do we?

There is another question here as well. Why should we know what is contained in the pages of scripture? What is the value of Scripture to us?

To answer that question lets look at the second verses I read. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 say “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Quickly lets be reminded of some things. We are saved by grace, through faith and not of our own good works or by works of the Mosaic law nor by any sacrifice we could make, for we are corrupted and therefore an imperfect and insufficient sacrifice. Yet we cannot stop reading scripture with that verse. The verse following the one that teaches that we are not saved by works says also that we are saved unto good works that God has foreordained us to walk in.

The book of James has an extensive discussion of the relation between faith and works. That is not what this sermon is about so I will not be delving completely into this side of things, but for important information related to the verses we are looking at lets look at some highlights. James 1:22

James 1:22 KJV 1900

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 2:14 KJV 1900

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:17–18 KJV 1900

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:20–22 KJV 1900

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

James 2:24 KJV 1900

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:26 KJV 1900

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Now lets go back to 2 Timothy. What is the value of Scripture. First it is of great value for it is inspired by God. In our studies of scripture we often focus on who wrote what. We might say that Timothy was written by Paul to Timothy. That would not be incorrect, but that’s not at all a complete answer. It is helpful in Bible study to understand the human authors and audiences, however far too often we get too caught up in this and forget that all scripture is written by God, to us. The human authors and audiences have since passed away but God remains, God’s word remains, and today we are, and that word of God is written for us today. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. We are not reading Paul’s word, or Luke’s word. We are reading the eternal Word of God. That is where scripture receives its value. Not only in its perfect rightness, but in its flowing from the very mouth of God.

Because it is given by God Scripture is profitable for doctrine. Doctrine refers to that which is taught. Each week we have 4 times where we gather and one of the things we do at each of those times is have at least some teaching. We have 3 services and we gather once in groups of our general age for Sunday School. One of those 4 times is entirely set apart for learning exclusively. In the other 3 there is generally contained a time for instruction and learning. What is it that is taught and learned (hopefully) during these times? Scripture is that which we strive to teach in our sermons and it scripture that is studied in Sunday School. I’m sure Pastor Ryan could spend a lot of time giving some really great advice in all sorts of aspects of life and yet he draws his source material from Scripture instead of his own thoughts. I strive also to bring something from Scripture to the table and not my own pet ideas. In all our services we focus that the instruction and the learning. The doctrine, that which is taught, is from Scripture because it is God’s Word, and it is profitable to be that which is taught.

The next thing mentioned that Scripture is profitable for is not so fun as learning and instruction. It is profitable for reproof. For rebuke. It is profitable in calling out and pointing out wrongdoing in our lives and the lives of others. It is profitable for correcting error. This applies perhaps most specifically to sinners. There is an idea today that we should not call out sin, we should be careful to not offend those dead in their slumber of sin, but rather gently coax them into saying a prayer and then hopefully they will follow the leading of God in their lives and change how they behave. Now there is some truth here, yet it is a fact that most people do not know that they are sinners in need of saving. If someone has no clue that they need saving they will not appreciate lifesaving efforts very much nor will they seek a savior. So for a person to be saved they must first be convinced that they are in fact a sinner in need of saving. No one has found salvation that did not believe in his need of it! Now how do we go about convincing sinners that they are such? Well I can tell you that it normally doesn’t go well to tell them that you think what they are doing is wrong and you don’t think they should do that. They will probably ask, who made you judge? The truth is no one did. What you think and what I think people aught to do doesn’t matter in even the tiniest sense. God is the judge and what He thinks on the other hand does matter quite a bit! Where do we find what God thinks about things? Scripture! Now I still wouldn’t generally recommend walking up to people and smacking them over the head with the truth, although some have used this method to great effect throughout history. However teaching people what scripture says will convict sinners of their wrongness as they learn what God expects of them.

Yet this reproof does not end with sinners. Christians too will be convicted as we study the word of God and learn of God and from God. God’s Word is profitable for correction. Though not sin, ignorance and infirmity plague the human mind, and body. Because of this we often need corrected. We often find ourselves being foolish or careless. I wish that I could claim immunity from this, but even very recently God corrected me, He let me know that I was being careless and foolish, and that such carelessness and foolishness would surely lead to sin if continued it! I repented, not for sin, but for carelessness and asked God’s help to be sure that I would remain sober and vigilant against the adversary of my soul who was seeking to devour me. This continues in the Christian life. I do not wish to excuse carelessness, but rather warn against it! It is by staying in God’s Word that He corrects our carelessness and exposes our foolishness so that we may be wise and careful.

Scripture is also profitable for instruction in righteousness. We learn that it is the righteous that make to heaven. That is the determining factor of our eternal destination. Are we righteous or not? The righteous are such through the work of God and through His sustaining grace and the righteous will enjoy eternity with their redeemer. The unrighteous are such from birth and from their choices to evil and disobedience against a Holy God that wills that all should be saved. The unrighteous will face eternal punishment with Satan. How can we be sure to be one of the righteous, one who obeys God is all aspects of our lives? Well Scripture contains the words of life! Through God’s Word He will guide us into all truth and as the next verse says perfect us and make us thoroughly furnished unto all good or righteous works. If we do not know what God wants us to be, and we do not know what righteous works or evil works are, how can we be made complete and completely as God wants us to be? How can we live as God wants us to live if we are unwilling to learn His word and be corrected by it?

Scripture has immense value to us. It is the living Word of God. It contains the words of life. It instructs us in righteousness, corrects us in error, reproves the sinful, and contains all the knowledge we need to learn or to teach.

That is why we aught to know the Bible. We need to know what God expects of us, we need to know what the good works that we have been saved unto are, we need to know what is righteous and unrighteous. So I go back to the former question. How much of the Bible do you know? I think there is only one answer that could fit all of us. I know my answer, “Not enough.” We can always be benefited by learning more of the Bible, even those who may know it well can honestly say they don’t know all of it, so in one sense the amount that each of us knows is not enough!

Study To Shew Thyself Approved

So lets look at our other verse this evening. 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Now I will go ahead and admit that I have a bias. I come from a family full of educators and I consider myself such. I consider the job of teaching and preaching very much to be the same thing. Perhaps stylistically a bit different but the object of imparting information for the good of the hearer, or more specifically proclaiming the good news of the gospel and all that is contained withing scripture so that people will better know it, that goal is the same for a Bible teacher and for a preacher.

Nor this evening do I claim myself to be exempt from this message. This evening I am calling us to do better in this aspect. I am not leaving myself out! I have had great intentions of deeply studying over the past year, and I have not accomplished near the study that I had intended or expected. When we remove ourselves from the specific course requirements of school it is difficult at times to see the value in study over other good activities, and easier yet to fill whatever free time may or may not exist with frivolities and innocent but worldly pursuits. I am likely more guilty than many of this. I have a job to do and I do my best to do it sufficiently and well, but I do not have a family to care for, a property to maintain, or many other such necessities of life that many of you have. That is an opportunity for me to grow in knowledge and I cannot claim to have spent my time wisely. It is easy to justify a need for relaxation when not working and to push study down the road.

But truthfully how can we know more of what is contained in Scripture? How can we increase in knowledge about what God wants for us? I cannot think of too many other ways than to study. We must study God’s Word! There are no alternatives. Christians must study the Word of God. I am afraid that in a day where Christian households often have dozens of copies of Scripture that very few Christians have too much idea about what God’s Word teaches! I do not want to be one these people, and I firmly believe that neither do you! God has blessed you so much, and been so wonderful to you. Now, you want to please Him. One of the very best ways to please God is to spend time in His Word. To pour over His love letter to us.

I do not know if I should admit this or not. I am old enough to have grown up before the age of cellphones. And even when they became common, my parents thankfully did not allow me to have one. This meant that I got to experience something special. Believe it or not there was a time in my life where a girl and I would write each other little love notes. I had a box beside my bed and each night I would dig through it and read some of the wonderful things she had written. She had even sprayed her perfume on some of them! I would write a note and take it with me to school the next day and each day we exchanged notes and took them home to read, and re-read, and re-read, and re-read. When I was feeling down or feeling uncertain I had a whole box full of notes that would cheer me up and give me confidence! Now that box of love notes has long since turned to ash and the girl has been married for years, thankfully not to me! But the point is that as people when another person writes a love note to us we read it, and learn it, and we study it, we may even memorize it! Yet God’s love letter to us, the Bible sits gathering dust on so many shelves. We read through it a time or two. We get the big picture, and we learn the highlights pretty well. But the details? Well, surely He doesn’t expect us to remember the details! How crazy is that? Of course He expects us to know the details! The details matter. How can we be as 2 Timothy says a workman that needeth not to be ashamed if we do not know what we ought to be working at?

Scripture furnishes us for the life of good works which God before He ever redeemed us, pre-ordained, that God destined or determined that we should walk in! So our first key job as a Christian is to know what the Bible says.

How do we do that?

I want to offer some practical advice. First step. Read the Bible every day. Set aside a block of time and read the Bible every day. 3.26 chapters a day will get you through the Bible in a year. 2 chapters and you can easily read the entire Bible in two years. 8 Chapters and you can read it twice in one year! Now it really isn’t about quantity of reading but about depth. Remember the word is study, not read. In this time of devotions we ought to be studying God’s Word. Not just skimming it. If you can’t read, listen. If you can’t hear read! Now if you listen to Scripture make sure you are paying attention to what it is saying. If you read, don’t just skim a bit and go on about your day. I believe that the advice about going into your closet to pray, in other words, having a place or a time that is as free from disturbance and distraction as possible fits very much for Bible reading. I understand that for many, there really never is a moment truly free of distraction, but we can each do our best to give God’s Word some undivided attention each day.

That is the most important thing you can do to learn God’s word. I think another key step is going to church. Like I said earlier we in our gatherings we try to teach scripture. Tonight I am trying to communicate a portion of the truth found in 2 Timothy! However I am going to say something that may surprise you! Hearing a bunch of sermons may help you to learn what the Bible says, but it is not even close to the best method, nor is it the best thing we as a church do each week in learning Scripture! Tonight I have preached a topical expository-ish sermon. I dug somewhat into one verse, references several others, and am trying to communicate the truth in another. If we were trying to learn what 2 Timothy says, we didn’t get very far. I guess we could come back and take a topical approach to 2 Timothy for several months and then we might have an idea what 2 Timothy says. But that is not how we generally approach sermons here, and is not my plan. And in that system there is no room for questions, no space for discussion, no allowance for those better studied and more knowledgeable than me to share input!

I think we do something at our church that is of more value in learning what the Bible says than preaching. Self study, such as a time of devotions, is immensely valuable. However I think an opportunity to gather with other believers who have hopefully studied the same passage that we have and done at least a bit of thinking about it, and hearing a teacher who has deeply studied a portion of scripture and has prayed about how it should be communicated, and has developed his thoughts with the help of commentaries and study and prayer, expound this passage of scripture and then to discuss and share input and insight is the best thing we can possibly do as a church to learn how to be a workman who is not ashamed. A workman who rightly divides the word of truth.

Perhaps I have shared an idealistic view of Sunday School, but I truly believe that is what it could become and I truly believe that it is at least as important in the Christian life to attend Sunday School as it is to attend Sunday Morning service and certainly more important in learning all that God teaches us in His Word.

Truth be told, I do not really know how our Sunday School’s are. I have heard that we have wonderful teachers, but I am teaching or helping each week myself so I do not get to be in Sunday School down here.

Tonight I know that this is not the most encouraging or uplifting sermon. Our Sunday School attendance in all departments is down. Now there are many factors that go into that and I am hugely encouraged over the past while about our church. I am not trying to guilt trip those who could attend Sunday School and choose not to into attending, I am not trying to make you feel bad about yourself. I am trying to show the the necessity of studying God’s Word and share about what I believe is the most overlooked opportunity we as a church have to learn about the Bible! I am trying to share the vision I have for what Sunday School could be!

I do not know what it is currently, but I know our teachers are diligent, Godly, intelligent, and passionate. I think if we came to Sunday school, each one of us, having also studied the lesson. Having also prayed about what is taught we would have a vibrant time of learning about the great love letter written to us by God!

So tonight That’s my dream. A Sunday School where everyone who possibly can attends. A Sunday School where everyone has read over the lesson and the Scripture. A Sunday School where each person comes with open ears to hear what the teacher has prepared. A Sunday School where the teacher allows time for people to share what God has shown them through the lesson. A Sunday School where students do not try to be the teacher, but learn what the teacher teaches, hear what God has impressed upon the hearts of the wise, and grow together in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord. Sunday School is a time of group Bible study, not just another sermon. It goes through the Bible in a much more systematic manner that our sermons and has a special value in our weekly church calendar. This is my hope for what Sunday School can be, and I guess truthfully I do not know how close we are to it. I enjoy teaching in the youth class but I am sad that it keeps me out of this opportunity. For those who can, I encourage you to take the opportunity and come to Sunday School! Maybe together we can make Sunday School the biggest attended part of our week! It used to be, and I would love to get back to that!

Ok, to wrap things up. The main point tonight is that Scripture holds the words of life. Scripture has immense value to us because it is God’s Word. We ought to know what it says but none of us really know as much of it as we could or should. How do fix this? Study. When do we study together as a church? Sunday School! Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.