VALUE OF READING THE WORD OF GOD

June 2010

TEXT: 16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”. Col.3.16

TEXT: 15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”. II Tim.2.15

INTRODUCTION: As new born babes/growing Christians it is important for us to be instruction and learn the new way we have found through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life” Jn.14.6. God has a provision for us to learn the new way by way of the Bible. It is the Christian manual and navigation system. Learning involves reading and that is why it is important for us to begin doing this as Christians.

GETTING TO KNOW THE WORD OF GOD:

1. There are two aspects to the Bible- The Words of God and Historical aspect of the Bible. – Gen.1.1-28; Gen.12.1-5.

2. All scriptures is God breath – II Tim.3.16 – “All Scripture is God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.

3. Jesus is the Word of God – The easiest way to knowing your Lord and Savior is by reading Him and about Him – Jn.1.1-3.

4. The Word of God teaches the way of life both with God and other men – Pro.4.20-22 - My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

5. Christianity is a faith walk, and faith comes only through the Word of God – Rom.10.17; Heb.10.38.

WHY DO WE NEED TO READ THE BIBLE

1. We gain knowledge of who God is – Jn.1.1-2; Ex.3.14; Jn.14.8-9.

2. We learn how God reveals Himself to us – Ex.3.2-6; Gen.28.10-15; Acts.9.5.

3. So as not to stray from the way – Pro.19.27-“Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge”

4. We gain God’s kind of knowledge, wisdom and understanding – I Cor.2.6-7 –“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.; Pro.4.5 – ”Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them” I Cor.1.21-24 –“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God”.

5. When you lay hold of the Word of God, you will live life to the fullest – Pro.4.4 – “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live”; Jn.1.4 – “In him was life, and that life was the light of men”.

6. By the Word of God you get everything that you desire – Jn.1.3 – “ “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”; Pro.3.1-2 – “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

7. You’ll not be easily deceived by the Devil or man – Gal.1.6-7 – ”I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.; 3.1 - You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified”; Eph.5.6 – “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient”; II Tim.2.3 – “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus”.

8. The Word of God reveals the mind of God – Ps.25.14 – “The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them”.; I Cor.1.12 – “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us”.

9. The Word reveals to us our position in God and in the world – Col.1.12-13 – “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”; Gal.3.26-28 – “you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.

10. The Word of God is one of the weapons God has equipped us with to engage our enemies – II Cor.10.4-6 – “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete”; Col.2.14 – “having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

11. The Word of God is our Light in the midst of the darkness of this world – Jn.1.5 – “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it".; Ps. 119.105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”.; Ps.18.28 – “You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light”.

12. We become better by live through the Word of God – Col.3.15 – ”Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God".; II Tim.2.15 – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”.

CONCLUSION:

It is clear from these teachings that we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ cannot do without reading, study and memorizing the word of God. The next teaching will be on how to study the word of God.

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