Thoroughly Furnished People

Thoroughly furnished Christians

Saturday, March 11, 2017

10:02 PM

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)

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 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

God's Word is amazing:

The American Bible Society reports that many years ago a lady in Spain wanted to do something special for the Lord and decided to give away Bibles. While seeking possible recipients, she came upon a man building a wall. When she discovered he had never owned a Bible, she offered him one, writing his name in it.

The man was too embarrassed to refuse it. But when she left, he resolved, “I will never read this, and I’ll make sure no one else will either.” He placed the book behind one of the stones and finished the wall, certain that at least this copy would be hidden forever.

A few years later an earthquake hit that area; and an inspector, looking for damage, found a crack in the wall. He peered in and, to his amazement saw a book. He carefully removed it, hurriedly turned the pages, and decided to take it home. That evening he was earnest in study the written word of god. Soon the inspector was on his knees, thanking Jesus for dying for him. He yielded his life to his new-found Savior and became a distributor for the Bible Society in Spain, selling God’s Word from town to town.

It was not long before he came upon a stonemason and offered him a Bible at very low cost. The man told him he had sealed in a wall the only Bible he had ever owned. The distributor drew from his pocket the very Bible and, glancing at the fly leaf, told the man his name. The startled laborer sat down and listened to the distributor’s story. Then he too decided to have a closer look at this book.

The printed word of God was again productive as the stoneworker became a Christian.

(Proclaim: the Pastor’s Journal for Biblical Preaching. The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Nashville, TN. J-A-S, 1988. P. 33)

We have here the writings of Paul giving us several things to think about:

The Plenary Inspiration of the Word of God - That ALL SCRIPTURE - this for Paul would have primarily been the Old Testament. Although the New Testament is just as inspired - it just wasn't available yet.Inspiration of God - means "God breathed" Does not "Contain" the Word of God but "It IS THE WORD OF GOD!!!" This Plenary Inspiration of the Word of God - is PROFITABLEWe like profitable things - Sometimes we don't quite understand what profit really means. Like the Two fellows decided to go into the produce business. They had a pickup truck, and drove 100 miles into the country, brought watermelons for fifty-cents each, and then drove back to town and sold them two for a dollar. At the end of the day they had just as much money as when they started. One hollered, "I told you we wouldn't make a profit unless we got a bigger truck!"

From <https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-illustrations/5157/needed-a-bigger-truck/>

Wallace Thornton reminded us in a recent article in the Convention Herald of the story of J. A. Wood.

Wood "Went against his parents' warning that he would never see his money again and spent his life's savings to publish his first book, Perfect Love. The resulting sales belied their concern-- between 50,000 and 60,000 copies in the United States during Wood's lifetime. In his Autobiography Wood reported that "every dollar that built and furnished" his "large, beautiful, comfortable and delightful home at Lincoln Park," California, "came from the sales of 'Perfect Love'"! J.A. Wood's Perfect Love is still considered a classic among holiness literature. From <Convention Herald 2018 Issue 6 pp17> What Paul is telling us is that God's word is an investment that pays big dividends. Think about it like this for a moment - We sit down to read. If you just read you gain a tremendous knowledge of a variety of thingsIf you sit down and read to understand you learn not only a variety of things, but your spiritual vision is enlarged as wellIf you sit down and read to understand and apply what you have read - you not only learn a variety of things, gain spiritual vision, but are transformed by what you read. It is profitable - it is alive, it changes us.Profitable in a manifold wayDoctrine - Shows you the path on which to walkReproof - Tells you that you are off the path (rebuking, convicting)Correction - Shows you how to get back on the pathinstruction in righteousness - How to stay on the path. This is important because this Bible is so profitable that the MAN/WOMAN of God may be perfect (complete/ equipped)Thoroughly furnished - throughly furnished. "Throughly furnished" is one word in the Greek, meaning "completely equipped." We need nothing more than God's complete Word for our complete life.The Defender's Study Bible.Like a thoroughly furnished apartment…Already has the couch, stove, and refrigerator. All you do is bring your clothes and groceries. Spiritually we just bring ourselves - Let the WORD and the Spirit do their work in our life.