God's Word Is Good For Us
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· 14 viewsIf we are to please God, we must listen to and honor God's Word...
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God’s Word Is Good For Us
God’s Word Is Good For Us
I’m so excited to bring what I have before you today...
…because I’m going to talk about doctrine!
Somebody says “doctrine” and a lot of times everyone slouches in their collective pew.
But doctrine is what we believe. And it’s scripture. The Word of God.
And when you talk about doctrine, Apostolics should get excited, because we believe the WHOLE word of God. We don’t leave things out! We don’t have to worry!
WE BELIEVE tongues. WE BELIEVE holiness. WE BELIEVE one God. WE BELIEVE worship. WE BELIEVE the rapture.
We don’t have to play hopscotch around the scriptures this morning - we accept it all!
Text
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the last 6 months or so, you have heard from, gotten tired of hearing from, and are still yet hearing from presidential candidates on why they are good for you. Over the course of the next 30-40 minutes, I am going to make the case for why this book [the Bible] is good for you. I’m going to make some pointed, clear statements about the Bible. ...And I hope you’re ready, cuz I’m gonna hit the ground running like a feline on a treadmill.
Intro
Course Correction
NASA did all their research, crunched all their numbers, and sent the Mars rover Curiosity into outer space in 2012.
Engineers, scientists, and a team of other intellectuals watched as the spacecraft carrying the rover climbed out of the Earth’s atmosphere on its 352-million-mile journey to the “Red Planet.” The trip would take just over eight months to complete.
Two-thirds of a year later, the spacecraft was about to enter the Martian atmosphere and prepare for a landing. But after all those many miles and all those many months, it was estimated to be thirteen miles off course.
The team at NASA went right to work and made a minor course correction: only one centimeter per second.
That seemingly minor course correction set the craft to land where the engineers targeted it to land.
Course correction is one of the blessings of the Word of God. As we walk with God, we may find ourselves veering off course from time to time.
We may not be praying as often as we should...
...but we read, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
Perhaps we are having a difficult time keeping back our temper...
…but we read, “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26).
God’s Word is perfect for course corrections. The next time you are not where you need to be, God’s Word will show you where you need to be and how to get there.
Contemplating the Topic
In his 2019 State of the Bible Report, George Barna examined the behaviors and beliefs of American adults regarding the Word of God. Here are a few excerpts from his findings:
5% of the population are Bible-centered, meaning they interact with the Bible frequently and it is transforming their relationships and shaping their choices.
19% are Bible-engaged, meaning the Bible is transforming their relationship with God and with others.
Another 19% are considered Bible-friendly. These people interact with the bible on a consistent basis and it may be a source of spiritual insight and wisdom to them.
The study found that 9% are Bible-neutral, meaning they interact with the Bible sporadically and it has little spiritual influence in their lives, although that influence may be growing.
And finally, 48% of America’s population are Bible-disengaged, which means that they interact rarely with the Bible - it has minimal, if any, impact in their lives.
Body
All Scripture is Profitable
It’s Valuable
Value is a relative term.
It’s like the old saying says: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” What I consider valuable may have little worth to you. Things of little value to me may be your most prized possessions.
We value things based on our perception of them and what they mean to us.
The Word of God is no different. As the Barna Study shows, people value the Word of God differently.
However, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
This is such an important point many Christians do not get that WE HAVE TO GET in our spirit today:
THE WORD IS DESIGNED BY GOD TO AFFECT EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES.
We are going to break this scripture down (2 Timothy 3:16) and understand exactly what it’s saying to us today.
Doctrine
Paul told Timothy that the Word is profitable for doctrine.
If our doctrine is not right, then nothing else really matters.
There are two foundations of all biblical theology. To understand the rest of the Word of God, start by understanding these two things:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
God expects us to know who He is and what He is. And as we study the Bible, we become more acquainted with the knowledge of who He is.
Now, the doctrine of the oneness of God is clearly established in the Word. I’m not here this morning to teach only on the oneness of God, but I do want to firmly establish it with scripture right now...
Deuteronomy 6:4 directly correlates to Colossians 2:9. It says this:
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
IN HIM. Him who? Go back a few scriptures and you’ll see very clearly that the person being spoken of is Jesus Christ.
Therefore - in Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily! IT’S ALL IN HIM! There is no question! There is no doubt! There is no challenge! IT’S ALL IN HIM!
If that scripture does not satisfy you, among a multitude of other one God scriptures… listen to this gem of the word of God...
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
And the new birth message is the foundational doctrine of the New Testament church.
In John 3:5, Jesus made clear the requirements to make it into Heaven when He told Nicodemus:
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
IT TAKES MORE THAN A PROFESSION OF FAITH OR EXPRESSING A LOVE FOR GOD.
Merely attending church and reading the Bible will not save us.
We must be born again as Simon Peter said in Acts 2:38:
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Reproof
The same Word that leads us to being right in doctrine will also keep us right in our daily lives. That’s what reproof is.
In order for us to live a life that is pleasing to God, we have to allow the Word of God to point out error when it comes into our lives.
And God wants us to have a strong sense of conviction when it is necessary.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us the role the Word will play in helping us to discern right from wrong:
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word has the power to discern the deepest, most secret thoughts of the heart and mind.
Correction
And then 2 Timothy 3:16 talks about correction...
Having a feeling of conviction without a clear direction of what to do about it only leads to frustration. It would be like raising your child with rules and guidelines but doing nothing to correct them when the child disobeys. Without correction, human nature follows after its own self-will.
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
He loves us enough to correct us and to discipline us. And this is intended to happen primarily through the Word of God.
The Greek word for correction means “to restore to its proper condition; to make straight.” The goal of correction is to bring the individual to a better state.
Some people go from church to church to church because they can’t handle correction from the Word of God. And they didn’t understand that for you to reach that better place - that next step - God has to correct you!
Can you pray the prayer: “LORD, CORRECT ME!”
The same love of God that motivates the Word to convict is the same love that brings correction into our lives.
God is not some evil villain waiting to inflict pain into our lives the moment we disobey. He’s actually a loving and merciful Father who will bring correction to us if we do not respond to conviction.
Instruction in Righteousness
The last thing the scripture says that the Word of God is good for… is instruction in righteousness.
The ultimate goal of doctrine, conviction, and reproof is that we might be in a right relationship with God. Without His Word to reveal His righteousness to us, we have no pattern to follow in order to live in righteousness.
The Word, hidden in our hearts, will keep us on the path of righteousness:
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
The grace of God that brought salvation to us becomes our teacher and teaches us righteousness through the Word of God. Titus 2:11-12 explains this so beautifully (and by the way, this is a powerful scripture often overlooked):
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
The only way to really know righteousness is to be taught it.
Grace becomes the instructor of righteousness and teaches us to first of all deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Then it gives instruction as to how we should live after denying the desires of the flesh.
We should live soberly. There needs to be a seriousness in our walk with God. Life is an adventure but should never be viewed as just a game. We need a soberness about us in order to make the effort to live righteously before God.
Next, we are to live righteously. This involves thinking the right thoughts, having right motives, and performing the right actions.
Once our minds become serious about living for God, we will change our actions as well.
Living godly means to take on a devout lifestyle. Our devotion to God is seen by the world around us in all that we do. Our lives become proof that the Word of God is profitable to us and is helping us to become more like Him every day.
We Must Hear and Keep God’s Word
Deceived
Each of us has a personal responsibility for the effect the Word of God has in our own lives.
And I cannot rely on someone else’s opinion of the Word. I must make it personal and let it shape and mold me.
There is no deception worse than self-deception. It is one thing to have other people deceive us, but when we begin to deceive ourselves, we are in danger of living by whatever pleases us.
James 1:22 gives us a challenge and a warning about this:
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James was telling the church that it is incredibly dangerous to deceive ourselves when it comes to our response to the Word of God. We cannot be the type of people who faithfully attend every service and give loud responses to the Word of God, but never live it out in our daily lives.
Once we deceive ourselves, we are open to further deception. It will become easier for other voices to deceive us once we have allowed the voice of God not to be clear concerning His Word.
Jonah Preached and Nineveh Responded with Repentance
As we have already seen, one of the primary purposes of the Word of God is to bring change into our lives. The power of the preached Word seeks to bring conviction to the hearts of people that in turn will lead them to repentance.
Without the Word of God, we would have no concept of sin or any reason to repent. As Paul stated in Romans 7:9...
9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
Without the Word we live according to our own conscience. Paul told us that the Word brings an awareness of sin and the realization that we are dying in our sin.
In Luke 11:29-32, we read the story of Jonah preaching to Nineveh and the result:
29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
The multitudes were seeking signs and miracles, which became their motivation for following Jesus. But Jesus told them that no other sign was necessary for them other than the story of Jonah.
Verse 30 tells us that Jonah was a sign to Nineveh. He came preaching repentance to a people who were lost in their sin. And his message of repentance brought them to their knees in conviction. Great revival swept through Nineveh because the people responded to the Word of God.
Jesus went on to tell the crowd that Nineveh would rise up in judgment of their present generation and condemn it. They would do this because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and one greater than Jonah - Jesus Christ - was now in their midst.
God’s Word Inspires Faith
Hebrews 11:1 declares that,
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What powerful words these are to every Christian! Faith is substance and evidence for us.
In other words, faith is a fact and not a feeling. God is all-powerful whether we feel His power or not! He is a healer whether we are healed or not! Regardless of whether we feel faith or not, it simply is faith!
The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is filled with verses that begin with these words: “By faith.” Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and many others are credited with allowing faith to work in their situations.
God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and translated Enoch from this world to the next without experiencing death. By faith Noah built an ark and saved his household. It was faith that compelled Abraham to step out of his comfort zone and look for a city whose builder and maker was God.
Story after story is recorded in Hebrews 11 that should cause our faith to be elevated. The recorded accounts are of ordinary people who did extraordinary things all because of faith. God allowed their stories to be preserved in His Word so that we might be inspired by them.
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The things we hear can motivate us to action. Through hearing, our emotions are engaged and a course of action is laid out.
Paul told the church in Rome that the greatest source for them to hear from was the Word of God.
As a result of hearing the Word of God, we begin to live a life of faith as God intended.
God’s Word Brings Hope
Have you felt that your hope has been beaten up lately and left you struggling?
Has life sucked the energy out of you and now only a little hope remains?
Are you living every day under a cloud of darkness just hoping the sun will shine again?
Well, there is an answer to that! The Word of God can bring hope into the direst situations!
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Be patient in your struggle and trust the promises of the Word. God will renew and restore you.
Another encouraging verse is found in Psalm 119:114:
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
What a beautiful picture of knowing that we can rest safely in the presence of God! The psalmist declared, “I hope in my word.”
The circumstances may not have been what he wanted. Life may not have been fair at the time. But he was reminding us that there is always hope to be found in the Word of God!
THERE IS HOPE TODAY, IN 2020!
God’s Word Equips Us to do God’s Will
To live a life that is pleasing to God should be the goal every one of us have. At the end of our days, we should be able to say like the writer of Hebrews: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7). Can you imagine having the confidence to know that God has said of you that you delighted to do His will?!
One of the greatest accolades David received is found in Acts 13:36 where it says:
36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
The shepherd boy from the hillsides of the back 40 became so selfless that he served his own generation by the will of God!
This did not just happen.
At some point, David fell in love with the Word of God. In his own words, The Word is what ordered his steps (Psalm 119:133), became a lamp for his feet and a light for his paths (Psalm 119:105), and he hid it in his heart so that sin would not enter into his life (Psalm 119:11).
Conclusion
Internalizing the Message
The Word of God is much like a seed. And our lives are much like the ground.
God liberally sows the seed of His Word into our lives, hoping it will take root and grow. Seeds that are carefully selected, planted, and nurtured bring the promise of a future harvest of blessings.
Ultimately, it is our choice whether we will nurture the seed that has been given to us or whether we will continue to live life the way we desire instead of the way He desires.
The Word of God has to be more than a reference to us for preaching and teaching. If we are going to do the will of God in our lives, we have to be in His Word and allowing Him to speak to us out of that Word.
It is the Word that will give us specific direction for our lives, just as it did for David. If we embrace the Word and are sensitive to the leading of the Lord, we too will serve our generation by the will of God.