THE WORD, THE WHOLE WORD, AND NOTHING BUT THE WORD!

II TIMOTHY 3:14-17: “But as for you, continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe. You know who your teachers were, and you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.” GNB

OBSERVATION: Where have all the Bibles gone? This is a question that one would ask on any given Sunday in any given church. Recently, a good friend of mine posted some insightful thoughts on Facebook. He talked about the current trends in church today that minimize the importance of bringing a Bible to church.

It has become trendy to adjust the church lighting like a concert hall. Spotlights hit the stage and illuminate the worship team and pastor like the stage of a rock concert. All the while the congregation is in a dimly lit room where you couldn’t read your Bible even if you wanted to. To make matters worse, no one needs to look at their Bibles. The verses are projected on a large screen on the platform.

Most messages today are topical message series. Gone are the days of verse-by-verse expository preaching. So, who needs a Bible to follow along? All in all our focus becomes centered on the screen rather than the Word and on the preacher rather than the Savior. We walk away with a few good thoughts that will quickly dissipate in the business of the days and weeks ahead. The church is in trouble unless we return to…

The Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word!

In his final instructions to his beloved son in the faith, Timothy, Paul does not focus on style or presentation. Paul calls Timothy to focus on substance. Paul calls Timothy back to the basic rudiments of his childhood, the very substance of his faith.

“But as for you, continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe. You know who your teachers were, and you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Paul reminds Timothy that it was not Paul himself who led Timothy to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. It was the Holy Scriptures. It was the breathed-upon, inspired, ultimately authoritative, infallible Word of God. It was…

The Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word!

Yet, Paul did not stop there. In times past, when someone placed their faith in Jesus Christ, they were given a Bible as a gift for their newfound walk of faith. It was a reminder to them of the pathway of life that they had entered upon. It was the source of the Gospel by which they were saved and the instruction of life by which they would walk out this salvation by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

When I committed my life to Jesus Christ my Bible became my inseparable companion. It followed me to work, rode with me in my car, and accompanied me to every church service, Bible study, and meeting I attended. It began my day and ended my night. It was filled with highlights, underlining, and marginal notes. It followed me through college and as I entered the ministry. I learned that my walk of faith, my life in Christ, and my spiritual growth depended on…

The Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word!

Why is the Word so important? Why should we rediscover the discipline of making our Bibles the focal point and source of our worship, teaching, and practice? Why should we turn up the lights and begin once again teaching the Word of God, verse by verse, book by book, line upon line, precept upon precept? Paul reminds Timothy of why the Holy Scriptures are so important!

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.”

Without a focus on the Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word, there will be a famine of…

• Teaching the truth.

• Rebuking error.

• Correcting faults.

• Instructions for right living.

• Equipping for ministry.

• Empowering for every kind and good deed.

Brothers and sisters, this is huge! Could this be the slight adjustment the enemy has allowed to creep into the life of our churches that has left us anemic and ineffective in a world that is passionately pursuing sin and charging toward the cliff? Is it time we reevaluate our worship services, our style, our lighting, our big screens, and our focus? It is time to return to…

The Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word!

Without God’s Word: Sinners will not meet their Savior. Believers will not grow in their faith. Children will not become young men who rightly handle the Word of truth. Young men will not become spiritual fathers who leave us a legacy of faith and obedience. Without a renewed focus on the Word of God in our lives and our churches we are merely running a Preschool for saints.

Dear ones, I don’t care if you carry a digital Bible (don’t use your phone to avoid the temptation of becoming distracted by texts and interruptions) or your leather-bound Bible. All I am contending for is to bring a Bible to church. When the verse goes up on the screen, look it up in your Bible. Let your pastor see you turning to the text and following along. Read your Bible daily, carry it with you to work, in your car, and keep it by your side.

It is time to return once again, without reservation, and in full earnestness, to…

The Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word!

In Jesus’ Name!