Treasure the Bible
We treasure the Bible because it is God’s written message to mankind. For
centuries the vast majority of people in the Christian world accepted the
Scriptures as the Holy Bible, and believe it to be God’s revealed written message
to mankind. Many believe that it is free of mistakes (inerrant), that it could not be
wrong on any subject (infallible), and that its words came from God Himself
through specially chosen prophets (inspired). Jewish believers had held this
same opinion for centuries before, with respect to the Old Testament, and the
orthodox Jews still hold this view today. The belief that the Bible was God’s
written word and free from error was seen to be the Bible’s own claim for itself (II
Timothy 3:16-17) “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, thoroughly furnished to all good works”.
Jesus also teaches the inerrancy of the Bible in John 10:35b which says “and the
scriptures cannot be broken”.
The apostle Paul goes on to charge Timothy in II Timothy 4:1-4 which says “I
charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall judge the
quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove; rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. 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. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth; and shall be turned to
fables”. This is much as is going on today. The world today is trying to push the
Bible out of all arenas; they have removed the right to carry the Bible in many
schools, and government places. And the result has been disastrous on our
society.
The prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 40:8 “the grass withers, the flower fades; but
the word of our God shall stand forever”. In Isaiah 55 the Lord Yahweh says
Himself in verse 10-11 “for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven,
and returns not there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that
it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall My word be that
goes forth out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”.
Jesus Himself says that the Bible will stand forever; in Matthew 5:18 He says “for
verily I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”.
Jesus defeated the devil by using the word of God (Matthew 4:4) “but He (Jesus)
answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.
This is the main reason why the world is trying to get rid of the Bible, you see in II
Corinthians 4:3-4 that the devil is the god of this world; it says “but if our gospel
be hid, it is hid to them that ae lost. In whom the god of this world has blinded the
minds of them which believe not, less the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine to them”. The devil has been trying to get
rid of the Bible, by burning them, and threatening people, even killing people
because they believe. And when that failed, questions came up to dispute if the
Bible which we have today is the same as the original.
Fulfilled prophecy shows the inerrancy of the Bible; Isaiah’s prophecy about the
virgin birth, Malachi’s prophecy about Jesus coming with healing in His wings.
Micah’s prophecy about where Jesus would be born; in Bethlehem of Juda. Even
how He would die, was prophesied before the method of crucifixion was used.
God wrote His love letter to us, so that we could live and conform to the image of
His dear Son. The nuggets that we can get from this treasure chest are found in
Proverbs 4:4-13, 20-23 which says “he taught me also, and said to me, let your
heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get
understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake
her not, and she shall preserve you; love her; and she shall keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting get
understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote you; she shall bring you to
honor, when you do embrace her. She shall give to your head an ornament of
grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to you. Hear, O my son, and receive my
sayings; and the years of your life shall be many. I have taught you in the way of
wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you go, your steps shall not be
straitened; and when you run you shall not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction;
let her not go; keep her; for she is your life. Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to
my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your
heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep
your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”.
We learn in Psalms 119 that the word of God gives us directions; in verse 9-11 it
says “wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto
according to Your word. With my whole heart have I sought You; O let me not
wander from Your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might
not sin against You”. And in verse 101-105 it says “I have refrained my feet from
every evil way, that I might keep Your word. I have not departed from Your
judgments; for You have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yea,
sweeter than hone to my mouth. Through Your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my
path”.
Jesus teaches us that the word of God is seed, seed that can be spoken over any
problem, and see it change. He also says that the word of God is Spirit and life,
and Proverbs 18:20-21 says “a man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his
mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the
power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”.
Jesus not only teaches us, but He Himself demonstrated it to us; because He said
that He only speaks what He hears His Father speak (John 14:10-11) “believe
you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to
you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for
the very works’ sake”.
The word of God cleanses us, the apostle Paul speaking of Christ and the church
says in (Ephesians 5:26-27) “that He might sanctify and cleanse it (the church)
with the washing of water by the word. That He might present it to Himself a
glorious church; not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should
be holy and without blemish”.
The word of God is our helmet and our sword (Ephesians 6:16-17) “above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God”.
We learn in II Corinthians 10:4-5 “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (the Word)”.
We can weird the word of God against anything and everything that the devil can
throw at us, just the same way that Jesus defeated the devil in His wilderness
test. Every time the devil came to Him with a question, He answered “it is
written”. We can too.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: November 4, 2011
We treasure the Bible because it is God’s written message to mankind. For
centuries the vast majority of people in the Christian world accepted the
Scriptures as the Holy Bible, and believe it to be God’s revealed written message
to mankind. Many believe that it is free of mistakes (inerrant), that it could not be
wrong on any subject (infallible), and that its words came from God Himself
through specially chosen prophets (inspired). Jewish believers had held this
same opinion for centuries before, with respect to the Old Testament, and the
orthodox Jews still hold this view today. The belief that the Bible was God’s
written word and free from error was seen to be the Bible’s own claim for itself (II
Timothy 3:16-17) “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, thoroughly furnished to all good works”.
Jesus also teaches the inerrancy of the Bible in John 10:35b which says “and the
scriptures cannot be broken”.
The apostle Paul goes on to charge Timothy in II Timothy 4:1-4 which says “I
charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall judge the
quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove; rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. 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. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth; and shall be turned to
fables”. This is much as is going on today. The world today is trying to push the
Bible out of all arenas; they have removed the right to carry the Bible in many
schools, and government places. And the result has been disastrous on our
society.
The prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 40:8 “the grass withers, the flower fades; but
the word of our God shall stand forever”. In Isaiah 55 the Lord Yahweh says
Himself in verse 10-11 “for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven,
and returns not there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that
it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall My word be that
goes forth out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”.
Jesus Himself says that the Bible will stand forever; in Matthew 5:18 He says “for
verily I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”.
Jesus defeated the devil by using the word of God (Matthew 4:4) “but He (Jesus)
answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.
This is the main reason why the world is trying to get rid of the Bible, you see in II
Corinthians 4:3-4 that the devil is the god of this world; it says “but if our gospel
be hid, it is hid to them that ae lost. In whom the god of this world has blinded the
minds of them which believe not, less the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine to them”. The devil has been trying to get
rid of the Bible, by burning them, and threatening people, even killing people
because they believe. And when that failed, questions came up to dispute if the
Bible which we have today is the same as the original.
Fulfilled prophecy shows the inerrancy of the Bible; Isaiah’s prophecy about the
virgin birth, Malachi’s prophecy about Jesus coming with healing in His wings.
Micah’s prophecy about where Jesus would be born; in Bethlehem of Juda. Even
how He would die, was prophesied before the method of crucifixion was used.
God wrote His love letter to us, so that we could live and conform to the image of
His dear Son. The nuggets that we can get from this treasure chest are found in
Proverbs 4:4-13, 20-23 which says “he taught me also, and said to me, let your
heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get
understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake
her not, and she shall preserve you; love her; and she shall keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting get
understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote you; she shall bring you to
honor, when you do embrace her. She shall give to your head an ornament of
grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to you. Hear, O my son, and receive my
sayings; and the years of your life shall be many. I have taught you in the way of
wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you go, your steps shall not be
straitened; and when you run you shall not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction;
let her not go; keep her; for she is your life. Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to
my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your
heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep
your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”.
We learn in Psalms 119 that the word of God gives us directions; in verse 9-11 it
says “wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto
according to Your word. With my whole heart have I sought You; O let me not
wander from Your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might
not sin against You”. And in verse 101-105 it says “I have refrained my feet from
every evil way, that I might keep Your word. I have not departed from Your
judgments; for You have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yea,
sweeter than hone to my mouth. Through Your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my
path”.
Jesus teaches us that the word of God is seed, seed that can be spoken over any
problem, and see it change. He also says that the word of God is Spirit and life,
and Proverbs 18:20-21 says “a man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his
mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the
power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”.
Jesus not only teaches us, but He Himself demonstrated it to us; because He said
that He only speaks what He hears His Father speak (John 14:10-11) “believe
you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to
you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for
the very works’ sake”.
The word of God cleanses us, the apostle Paul speaking of Christ and the church
says in (Ephesians 5:26-27) “that He might sanctify and cleanse it (the church)
with the washing of water by the word. That He might present it to Himself a
glorious church; not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should
be holy and without blemish”.
The word of God is our helmet and our sword (Ephesians 6:16-17) “above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God”.
We learn in II Corinthians 10:4-5 “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (the Word)”.
We can weird the word of God against anything and everything that the devil can
throw at us, just the same way that Jesus defeated the devil in His wilderness
test. Every time the devil came to Him with a question, He answered “it is
written”. We can too.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: November 4, 2011
