The Scriptures
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There was a statement I read the other day that bristled the hair on my neck and then I realized that it may actually be true… well, for America anyway: “The Bible is the world’s number one best selling coffee table book”
Many coffee tables/end tables have a dust outline
Sadly Christian lives and homes are reflecting this truth
We are considering and looking at CORE Church Concepts… We have considered:
Christ is the One building His Church
We looked at Baptism and Communion
We were challenged in our evangelism as we share this amazing relationship with Christ
TODAY … I want us to look at the CORE of all these CORES, that being God’s Word.
Consider with me the implications of 2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
ALL SCRIPTURE
ALL SCRIPTURE
Follow with me for just a moment… ALL:
New Testament
Old Testament
Every verse, every chapter, every book
WORD of God… the logos! “God breathed”
GIVEN by God Himself… Peter shares it this way 2 Peter 1:20-21
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
This book is precious! God’s precious love letter to us!
Have you savored this precious word of God… Scripture states that we should:
Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
1 Peter 2:2–3 “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 15:16 “Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”
Job 23:12 ““I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”
OH that the way David, Peter, Jeremiah, Job, and the Psalmist describe their:
Love for… desire… enjoyment!!!
What would the church look like if these things were true of her today!!!???
… or do you let that be the Pastor’s responsibility hoping to glean from his savoring of the Word, his time devouring it, chewing on and being nourished?
Taste & See
Taste & See
Let me illustrate… Sample food describing in detail. Then sample, chew and spit out...
To be satisfied with just hearing about God’s Word is not healthy.
We need to digest together
This morning I want you to leave here not only knowing what is expected… but desiring to engage in God’s Word with delight!
What’s The Expectation?
What’s The Expectation?
TO: KNOW | TRAIN | DELIGHT
Know | Think
Know | Think
Paul expresses the expectation in Romans 12:2 rather clearly… it is actually a directive more than an expectation!
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
You and I are to grapple with, to think critically … allow God’s Word to renew our thinking!
You have to chew, not just swallow… this is more than good milk, there is MEAT!
The writer of Hebrews 5:12-14 is very blunt to the believers he is writing to…
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Church… we need to be able to get past the elementary things of scripture
In elementary school I had a teacher read books and lessons to me
Not now! I read, I think, I study , meditate… and train...
Paul instructed Timothy this… 2 Timothy 2:15…
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
There is work to do… this is not a lazy task
There is an assumption that we are handling God’s Word
Then we MUST handle it correctly… because YOU and I are to train up the next generation of believers!
Train Up | Mentor
Train Up | Mentor
In Titus we see the older men training younger men (TRAIL LIFE), and the older women training younger women (AMERICAN HERITAGE GIRLS)… AWANA… Youth Group… Sunday Studies…
You and I are mandated to Know God’s Word, study it, in order to train up the generation coming up behind you and me!!!
This is true of parents especially… Deuteronomy 6 :5-7 is a passionate command to our responsibility to God’s Word!
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Delight | Enjoy
Delight | Enjoy
God desires us to delight in Him Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
David states in the second stanza of Psalm 119:9-16 this beautiful ballad as He reflects on the Lord and His Word…
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Your Turn
Your Turn
I want you this week to Chew on God’s Word, Taste what God has given us in all its richness, and Delight in the way He will minister to you in all of this!
We just read a portion of Psalm 119… This is a beautiful and powerful Psalm. It lays out that Scripture is the perfect Word of God!
Psalms is our Bible’s hymnal (songs / poetry)
Melody helps remembrance!
Psalm 119 is an “acrostic” of the Hebrew alphabet (22 characters)
Each paragraph a “strophe” of (8 verses)
Notice the headings…
It is a song of prayers and meditations of God’s Word (torah, law, word, sayings, commands, precepts)
What a beautiful song that would draw people’s minds and hearts back to the central IMPORTANCE, VALUE, LOVE, DESIRE of God’s Word!
Today we begin a new Sunday Studies on Biblical Literacy…
Let me read two excerpts from its pages (Pages 2, 16 & 17, Biblical Literacy by Cory Marsh)
Pink first
Orange second
Are you ready to SAVOR the precious Word of God for yourselves?
