"Ministers’ Minute" Volume XI Number 2
"Essential Equipment - #1: The
Bible"
Jeff Strite
ARM QUICK FACTS:
"Essential Equipment -
#1: The Bible"
Jeff Strite
OPEN: In Washington D.C. there is a building called the "National Institute of Standards and Technology." This facility is responsible for storing perfect samples of weights and measurements. They have what are called "prototypes" of pound weights and kilograms. Measuring rods for feet, yards and metric measurements like meters.
For example, they have a "Meter Standard" a
reinforced bar of platinum alloyed with exactly 10% iridium. When they want to
know the exact measurement of a "meter" they cool this bar down to 0 degrees
Celsius at a sea level of 45 degrees latitude then they know they will have the
exact tip to tip measurement of a meter. That bar is known as "prototype #27,
because the original is kept in a suburb of Paris at the International Bureau of
Weights and Measures.
We Christians also have a measuring rod that never
changes. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us:
"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, throughly furnished unto all
good works."
This measuring rod from God, the Bible does four important
things, according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
· Teaches me: it gives me correct
information
· Rebukes me: repairs my wrong ways of thinking
· Corrects me:
Corrects my character flaws
· Trains me in righteousness: Trains me to be
ready to make the right choices & decisions
I. But why do I need the Bible? I make fairly decent decisions
without it. I have a fairly good idea of what is right amd
wrong
ILLUS: Just out of high school I hired on at a trailer
factory in a nearby town. I didn’t know much. I had never really "built
anything." I was an inexperienced laborer. My job was to install insulation
(batting and blown in) in the walls and ceilings of the trailers as they moved
down the assembly line. One day, blowing in insulation on roof of trailer I
missed my step on the beams and my foot broke through a ceiling tile (about an 8
foot long ceiling strip).
I had created the problem and it was decided that
I and my partner had to fix it. The assembly line was shut down for over a ½
hour for us to make repairs. My partner got up on the roof and used measuring
tape to find length of ceiling tile to be replaced. I was down on the floor
ready to cut the replacement and he called down the measurement. It just so
happened that I had, in my pocket, a cloth measuring tape my mom used in making
clothing from patterns. I used this cloth tape to make the measurement on the
ceiling strip. I then cut the material and we made ready to put it into
position.
But the ceiling strip wasn’t long enough. Why was that?
Because the measuring tape I had used – the cloth one – wasn’t accurate for the
type of work we were doing. It was only good for working with clothing and
apparently didn’t need to be as precise. Because of my ignorance, the assembly
line was shut down even longer while we recut another ceiling strip and scrapped
my mistake.
When I went to work at that factory I could work hard. I
could make reasonably good decisions. BUT I was inexperienced and untrained. I
lacked a surefootedness on the ceiling beams and I didn’t understand the
importance of using the proper measuring tools.
When you and I came to
Jesus – we were capable of making reasonably good decisions and had a good idea
of what was right and wrong. BUT when push came to shove, we realized we were
sinners. We fell short, we needed God in our lives. We realized…
1. We were inexperienced in what he wanted - His will, His
desires
2. We were untrained in His type of righteousness
3. We lacked a
surefootedness of character because of sin in our lives & in the world
around us.
4. And, we didn’t understand the importance of God’s measure tool
for our lives. We may have read it… but we hadn’t used it to its full
effect.
In order for God to use us to our full potential these things
needed to change.
II. Part of the reason God gave us His word -
was to change us
John 17:17 "Sanctify them by your word…"
In
other words: change them, mold them, remake them by the
Scriptures.
ILLUS: Years ago, the State of Kentucky had a law that every
classroom in its in public schools had to post the 10 Commandments. The Supreme
Court ruled against the state of Kentucky ordering it to take down all copies of
the Ten Commandments from the walls of its schools saying: "Having the
commandments on the wall may induce a student to read, meditate upon, and
actually obey what is therein written."
IN OTHER WORDS, the Supreme Court
of the United States of America recognized that the Word of God had the ability
to transform the character of people who read it.
Turn to Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart."
Commenting on this passage, one scholar observed that the student
doesn’t so much study the Bible, as the Bible itself studies him or her. That
is, the bible is living thing, serving as a tool for the Holy
Spirit.
David commented that he had hidden God’s word in his heart so
that he might not sin against God. (Ps. 119:11)
James wrote that "the man who
looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do
this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in
what he does. (James 1:25)
BUT you know, there’s a book in most
everyone’s home that even some Christians read more than the
Bible?
ILLUS: On the table side by side;
A Holy Bible and the TV Guide,
One is well
worn but cherished with pride,
(Not the Bible, but the TV Guide).
One is
used daily to help folks decide,
No! It isn’t the Bible; it’s the TV Guide.
As pages are turned, what shall they see?
Oh, what does matter, turn on
the TV.
So they open the book in which they confide
(No, not the Bible,
it’s the TV Guide).
I’m not suggesting that you throw away the TV
Guide(although that might not be such a bad idea). BUT we need to ask ourselves:
do we refer to your Bible as much as you do TV Guide? Over this past week, did
you refer to your Bible as much as to TV Guide?
The poem goes on to
say:
The Word of God is seldom read,
Maybe a verse ere they fall into
bed.
Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be,
Not from reading the
Bible, but watching TV.
So, then back to the table, side by side,
Is the
Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
No time for prayer, no time for the Word;
The plan for salvation is seldom heard.
Forgiveness of sin so full and
free
Is found in the Bible, not on TV!!
Hosea 4:6 "My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will
also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten
the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
That’s tragic. But
the question is: how do we correct that?
If we know that the Word of God has
the power to change us…
If we know that the Bible has the potential to
protect us against sin…
If we know that the Scripture have the ability to
help us receive the abundant blessings of God…
Then we rob ourselves? Why do
we cheat ourselves every day we deprive ourselves of its
influence?
III. How then do we get the Bible into our
lives?
One person once said: "A
bible in the hand is worth 2 on the shelf."
First we need to decide
is that its is important to read the Bible. If I’m not convinced of the Bible’s
importance, this reading habit is not gonna happen.
Second, we need to
find every avenue we can to pour God’s word into our souls. Read it in the
morning at breakfast. Read it at night before you go to bed. At lunch when
you’re at work. Read it in different versions. Listen to them on tape in the
car. Read books and listen to tapes that teach about the Bible.
To help in your discipline, study with others (just as it’s easier to exercise with others, it is easier to study together).
* Bible studies (have those in midweek Bible studies stand)
* Sunday
School (have those engaged in Sunday School stand)
* By going to Evening
Church (have those who attend this worship stand)
AND don’t stop there,
memorize it, meditate on it, hide it in your heart. Because it is God’s gift to
you, and through it you can receive of God’s other gifts.
CLOSE: I’ll
tell you something else – it affects someone else even more than you. It affects
God… can you imagine
how proud and pleased & impressed He is. Every time you pick up His book & read it that tells Him that what He has
said to you is important to you and that you desire the best He can give you.
"Remain faithful unto death .." Rev.
2:10B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rod
Farthing, ARM National Development Director
Check out our web sites: www.arm.org www.abarc.org
In 2010, 71 ABA Bible courses were mailed from ARM every day!