September 17, 2023
Not Just Another Book
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Outline
I. Introduction
II. Teach the Bible to your Children
III. Learn the Holy Scriptures
IV. The Scriptures Make You Wise Unto Salvation
V. The Scriptures Are God Breathed
VI. The Word of God is Profitable for Doctrine
VII. The Word of God is Profitable for Reproof and Correction
VIII. Conclusion
XI. Final Prayer
I. Introduction
2 Timothy chapter 3. How many of you like to read? I like to read. I don't read as much as I used to. I like to read histories, I like to read biographies. I like mystery stories. Do you know what the best book I like to read is? The Bible because the Bible has all of those genres in it, there are mysteries in it. There is, for those of you that like poetry, there's poetry in it. There's all kinds of good stuff there and yet we don't read it a lot today. But what we should. Charles Spurgeon said "Nobody ever outgrows scripture. The book widens and deepens with our years."
John Quincy Adams says "So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it, the more confident will be my hopes that they'll be useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society." My favorite quote comes from Mark Twain. By the way, Mark Twain I don't think was a believer. But this is what he said. "Most people are bothered by those passages of scripture they do not understand. But the passages that really bother me are those that I do understand."
The Bible. What an interesting book. It's actually a library of 66 books, written by 40 different authors over the course of 1,500 years in three different languages all brought together so that now when we read, it's like one cohesive thought. It all centers around Jesus Christ. In case you're wondering, in the Old Testament, there's 39 books and the New Testament is 27. What's the middle book in the Old Testament? Anybody know? The book. Proverbs.
What's the middle book in the New Testament? 2nd Thessalonians. Now you can go on Jeopardy and be able to answer all them tough questions. In the Old Testament, there's 23,214 verses. In the New Testament, 7,959, at least in the King James. And no, I didn't count it. Somebody else did it for me. Did you know that in the original Bible that there were no chapters and verses? In fact, many of the sentences ran on to one another and there was no punctuation. That's just the way they wrote it.
It was divided into chapters and the year 1228, the Old Testament dividing into verses in 1448 and the New Testament in 1551. So we've had chapters and verses for a while. And I'm glad they did that. It really makes it a whole lot easier finding things, doesn't it? But the Bible. If we'd only stop sometimes to comprehend and understand how great a book it is, we would read it so much more. It is a very important book. Verse 15.
II. Teach the Bible to your Children
2 Tim 3 "15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
It's such an important book, we should be teaching it to her children. We should be teaching them the Bible, young. Now most people say, well he was just talking about the Old Testament. Yeah, because when Paul wrote this to Timothy, that's all they had was the Old Testament. But now I believe the New Testament, all of that includes the Scriptures. For the Old Testament, a Jewish parent would start teaching their child the law when they were about 5 years old.
So by the time they were 13, they knew it by heart. Even in our country. All of the early .. they called them primers .. books that they used in school, I have some copies of some in my library. They all use Bible verses to teach kids how to read. But they kicked that out of schools and now they don't want anything and they wonder where all our problems come from. From a child, Timothy had learned the scriptures.
He knew what they said and that's why it's so important. If you have children, if you have grandchildren that you deal with, share with them the word of God. Right now, I'm working on something that hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have. They used to have, you know, we know the Catholic Church has catechisms. That's just basically you learn things, to repeat things.
When he was 21 years old, Charles Spurgeon for those, you know who he was, the prince of preachers. He wrote "A Baptist Catechism". It's 78 questions with answers where you just read and you ask yourself a question? Who created the heavens and the Earth would be a question. The answer is, God created the heavens and the Earth and Bible verses. And so they're seventy some questions I think. And what it's good for is just to help you especially if you have kids to give you a starting point because it gives the Bible verses right there to teach your children, to teach yourself the truths of the Word of God.
Don't let the word catechism throw you, though. It just means a type of teaching. Teach your kids when they're young. We should have learned when we're Young. But noticed it also says, what's the purpose? Why did he know the holy scriptures verse 15.
".. which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
III. Learn the Holy Scriptures
The purpose of learning the Scriptures is to make you wise unto salvation. You're saying, but wait a minute. All they had was the Old Testament. If they only had the Old Testament, how could they know about salvation? Let's see what the word of God says. Turn with me to. We're going to look at a few scriptures. Luke 24 if you want to. I'll be reading Luke 24. Jesus, after he had been resurrected .. there were two guys walking on the road to Emmaus and suddenly Jesus started talking to them. And this is what Jesus said to these two guys.
Remember he'd already died buried and been resurrected. Jesus said this 24:25:
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
IV. The Scriptures Make You Wise Unto Salvation
So yeah, you can learn about Christ in the Old Testament. It takes a little bit of searching. But it's there. Just read Isaiah 53, for example. It talks all about Jesus Christ, but it says it makes you wise unto salvation.
Notice. It says, wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Turn to Acts 10. Early part of the church. Here's some preaching that went on. Actually, it was Peter preaching. But listen closely to the words that Peter said. Acts 10:38
Acts 10: 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Wow. That sounds just like the same message that Paul gave them in 1 Corinthians 15, isn't it? Jesus died, buried, rose again. You want to get saved, you have to do it through Jesus. That's why we look at the scriptures. You're saying, "Well I'm already saved. I've already trusted Christ." I hope you have. Why do we need to keep reading, then? Because this is life. Lot of people like to buy self-help books, right? You want the best self-help book ever written .. it's the word of God? Notice. Look at verse 16 now.
2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God ...
All Scripture. Now, when he wrote this, all he had was the Old Testament. So that's that was all scripture. But now we have all of it, so since it's the word of God, all scripture, not a few scriptures. You're saying, 'Well, if you read different books, it's looks like it's written a little differently.' Well. It says by the inspiration of God, that means what? God breathed. How did God breath into these people to write the Books?
V. The Scriptures Are God Breathed
Tells us in 2 Peter 1:21.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
God's inspiration was the Holy Ghost. I like to look at it kind of like this. Let's say you're the secretary for some bigwig. And this big wig just tells you, write a letter to this company and tell him this. Well, you know how the bigwig thinks. You know what they want. He doesn't tell you exactly word for word what to write, but what they do tell you is the general thing. That's the word of God. God spoke through people. He didn't tell him exactly what to think. He used their experiences. He used their way of expressing things to say what he wanted said. That's why 40 different writers all agree that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the way of salvation.
So it tells us all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Now, what that means is simply this. No matter where you read in the Bible, you can say, God wanted that to be said. Don't ever look at any scriptures and go, 'God didn't really mean that.' Well, if God didn't mean that, he wouldn't have said it.
Now granted, there are some scriptures that don't exactly apply to us anymore. You're saying, really? Well, just look at the dietary laws of the Old Testament. That was God inspired. But we don't go by that anymore. It was change by the vision that Peter had in the New Testament. God said, Peter - guess what? You get to eat bacon now. And Peter was overjoyed. Yeah, I know. I kind of took that little out of context, but you know what I mean? All scripture.
Since it's all written by God, it all can affect you if you read it and study it. There's something for you no matter what you're going through. No matter the problems, the perils, the tribulations, or the trials - there's something in here that can help you get through it, amen. Do I need my sign? Amen. All right. That's just to make sure you're awake.
VI. The Word of God is Profitable for Doctrine
Notice also what it says. And is profitable. Profitable? Yeah, profitable means to be helpful, to be advantageous. You get into business making widgets, don't you want to be profitable in doing that? You know, you want to get something for the effort you put in there. The word of God. You read it, it's worth something. It's profitable. But for different areas, depending on where you are.
Notice, first of all, it says, is profitable, for doctrine. Doctrine. Now doctrine is one of those things we're it just basically means teaching, but it's the big teachings of the word of God. It's the things that help us to understand our world. Understand God. Things such as - why am I here? What comes next? What am I supposed to believe about God? What am I supposed to believe about sin? What am I to believe about angels or the future or life or death?
Life after death. The scriptures are profitable to establish the foundation of what you believe. That's why doctrines there. A preacher named Chuck Smith said, 'I can base my beliefs upon while God has said because God said it.' I can base my beliefs on what God said because God said it.
But sometimes we wonder why Christianity, why the world in general is just going haywire. Well, if you skip down to 4:3, it says
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
That's where all kinds of different 'isms', different cults, different things, they take scripture, they take a portion of scripture. They don't like what it says. The Bible says, for example, that if you're a sinner and you die, you're going to hell. That's not a popular saying to people who are sinners.
That's not even more popular with some Christians. They go, "how can a loving God send people to Hell?" Well, a loving God doesn't send anybody to hell. You send yourself there because you didn't accept the gift of Salvation that loving God had for you. And so since they don't like the idea of hell, they change it. 'Oh, if you trust Christ' ... some groups, not all them. For example, some group say, 'Oh, if you trust Christ you're going to heaven, if you don't, well, your obliterated to death, no big deal.'
Well, it's a big deal because that's not what the Bible teaches. Just because you don't like something and it emotionally upsets you doesn't mean it's still not God's word. We'll get to that little bit more in a minute.
VII. The Word of God is Profitable for Reproof and Correction
Notice also
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Reproof means to refute, convict, reprove, to rebuke. If you start going astray, the word of God will help get you back on the right path. The word of God will tell you what you're doing wrong and how to make it, right. That's the second part, for correction.
First it tells you, this is what you're doing wrong. Then it tells you this is what you need to do right, for reproof and for correction. That word correction actually means has the idea of set up in a straight line or set up in order again. Because we kind of get a little messed up. I like to think of it like bowling pins. Sin is the big bowling ball. Rolls down, hits a few pins. Sometimes it knocks them all over and your life goes really haywire. Sometimes it only knocks over a few and your life is only slightly haywire.
But it's not in order anymore. It's not nice and straight pins all standing. Correction is to stand up straight. So first it reproves you and says, 'Hey, this is what you need to do about that bowling ball in your life, that sin. And this is what happens when you correct it. Now all your pins are put back in order.' And hopefully, you don't have another bowling ball going down there knocking them down. That's why we stay in the word of God.
For correction, and for reproof. And for instruction in righteousness. Now, that word instruction is the same kind of word used to .. like a father who trains his child or father who disciplines his child to make sure they learn right. And so instruction in righteousness? Sometimes, let's be honest. Sometimes God's got to take you out to the woodshed, and get your attention. And then teach you the right way. And by the way just a little side note, that's how we should teach our kids. We just don't say 'You stole, I'm going to beat the fire out of you.'
We say 'you stole and this is why it's wrong.' God says, 'Thou shalt not steal.' Then we beat the fire out of them. But you got to give them the truth. That's what God's word does sort of. It teaches us that .. I said, beat the fire out of them because that's what my mom used to tell me she was going to do to me. Actually, she did more than .. no, I'm not. So this instruction in righteousness, like a father who is trying to teach his child the right way to go.
In Ephesians 6:4,
Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
That's the same idea of the instruction. Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
No chastening seems to be joyous or grievous. I don't know how many of you like me heard your parents say, 'This is going to hurt you worse then it hurts me.' I used to think Dad, you must be in terrible pain then cuz it must hurt you a lot. It's like the loving Father. He says, 'Here's my word. Here's what teaches you to do the right way and you don't listen to me.' So he chastises to teach you to come back and learn the fruit of righteousness. Righteousness is just doing the right thing, doing what God wants you to do.
I had a few more words here for it. It has the idea of integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, correctness of feeling and even your correctness of emotions. All of that comes from the Word of God. So why don't we read it more? Why don't we study it more? Why don't we learn it more? We get some of the teaching in Church. That's why we have so many teachings. We have Sunday morning, Sunday school, we have worship service, we have an afternoon service, we have a Wednesday service. Why? To help people learn the word of God.
I mean, 4:2, Paul even told Timothy
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
So not should you read the word, but you should get to a place where the word is taught so we can all learn together. Or you can just keep living your life having problems. You'll still have problems if you read the word of God. But when you have problems reading the word of God, he'll tell you how to handle those problems. He'll encourage you that he is with you all the time like. Like that song says, it's scripture, He'll never never never never forsake you.
So, how often do you read the Word of God? Should be everyday. Every single day. You say, well I'm not in the habit of doing that. Well, here's just a couple quick thoughts. One of them is start with the Proverbs. The most days a month has is 31. So, on the first day of the month you read Proverbs 1. Second day of the month, you read Proverbs 2. Things go bad, and you miss a couple of days and all of a sudden it's the 6th of the month. Just start with Proverbs 6. It helps keep track of where you are as you go through there.
Some people tell you read the book of John. Well, it's kind of long and some people don't want to read that much to begin with because they're just getting started. Read first 1 John. I've told you, 1 John is the Reader's Digest version of John. And you'll learn there. But, wherever you start .. well, let me put this way. Don't start with the Book of Numbers. Get there eventually, but don't start there. Start in the Old Testament and just everyday read something. You say, why I have trouble reading?
Read just a few verses. But before you read, pray. Say Lord show me something from your Word today. Sometimes it's even better just to read a few verses. Maybe some verses, you know, that need to help you. Read those and think on them, meditate on them, every single hour of the day. You'll be amazed how helpful that will be. Why is it important to read the word of God? Because it's profitable. For all of these things, it's profitable to teach us, to correct us, to bring us to the point where we're more Christ-like.
VIII. Conclusion
I want to encourage you starting today, everyday. Read some of the word of God. Maybe a chapter, may be a few verses. Now just like prayer, I had another thought. Hang in there with me. Just like prayer, sometimes when you're reading, especially if you're reading something that you're not really used to. Does your mind ever drift? You start reading a verse and all the sudden it's like, wait. Did I put that on the grocery list? And then suddenly, you're not thinking about what you're reading.
Here's a suggestion, whether you're praying and that happens or whether you're reading God's word, have a piece of paper with you and a pen. One of those errant thoughts comes in mind, just write it down and go back to what you're doing. Because what that does is - that will tell your brain, I'm not going to forget it and you can get back to what's important. But read the word of God. Study it. If you have questions, email me, email Peter. Email, somebody else you might trust. Call me if you have to. You probably get my voicemail, but if it's important, go ahead.
I know there's a few of you over the years, they read scripture and they had questions, they'd give me a call. And I got back and we tried to answer their questions. Why? Because I think the Word of God is the most important thing we have here because of all that it does for us, Amen? So, I want to encourage you: read the Word of God. Study. Learn. Meditate. If you have kids or grandkids, teach it to them a little bit at a time. Nothing big. Just the small things.
If you haven't done it in the past and you start doing it now, you'll see a change in the way you think, the way you act, the way you respond to other people. Let's bow our heads, please.
The word of God given to us by God. It's his words to us, to help us to be more like him. Sometimes we take it lightly, sometimes we find so many other things to do then read the word of God. I know, it's happened to all of us including me. But right now ask yourself, do I read the word of God everyday and meditate on it? If the answer is yes, praise God that you're able to do that and He'll continue to let you do that.
If you don't, ask yourself, why not? Why don't I read the word of God everyday? It's God's love letter to me. It's God's instructions to me, it's his commandments so that I'll live a Godly life. Why don't I? And then ask God to help you to read every single day. I know my mom in her later years, she had trouble reading. Her eyes were going bad. Maybe that's your situation. I was going to say excuse but I won't.
Maybe that's your situation. I bought my mom the Bible on tape. And she listened to it every day. Maybe that'll help you out. Whatever it is, why don't you go to Lord now and say, Lord, thank you for your word, thank you Lord that it does lead to Salvation in Jesus Christ. It does lead to me knowing how I should live in this life. And whatever else is on your heart. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
XI. Final Prayer
"Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you and we praise your name for your Word. Lord, the words that we read, the things that we study, the doctrines that we learn are the same ones that Christians have learned for the last two thousand plus years. It doesn't change. Lord, we thank you for that. Help us, Lord. Help us to read your word, to learn your word, to realize it's profitable for every situation in our life. Help us to share it with other people.
As we learn more, we are able to help others who may not read it. We can't thank you enough Lord for these pages of your words that you given to us. So help us Lord to be better. Help us Lord to learn more. We ask this in Jesus name, amen."