Sermon Date: Nov. 14, 2010
Sermon Title: Highest & Best Use
Sermon Text: 2 Tim 3:14-16
Small Group Text: 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:2 Every now and then, we’ll hear the Bible referred to as the “Good Book.” Which begs the question: Good for what? In a letter to a young pastor named Timothy, the Apostle Paul tells his young protégé exactly what the “Good Book” is good for. The Bible is good for 1) converting, 2) confronting and 3) conforming. The Scriptures are Good for Changing Life (Converting) We and all of humanity are, by nature, incurably religious – probably for many reasons but not the least of which is the nagging thought that we’re out of touch with God and that our lives would be positively effected were we able to be re-connected to Him. But how? This question of how one comes to know God and to be reconciled to Him forms the basis of all world religions. How do we get it right? Christian theologians divide the knowledge of God into two categories: 1) general revelation and 2) special revelation. General revelation is what may be known about God from nature (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-20); or even from our general sense of right and wrong (Romans 2:12-15). But while general revelation let’s us glimpse God’s infinite qualities of power, creativity and benevolence; and while it suggests that we are morally culpable to a God who is worthy of our worship, general revelation can tell us nothing about how we can be brought back into fellowship with the God from whom we’ve derived life and from whom we are presently alienated by our sin. The solution to this dilemma would necessitate a more specific revelation. Special (or specific) revelation is the means by which God has revealed His plan for the salvation of His people and the world. This special revelation is comprised of the written word of God – the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21) and the living word of God – Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate (John 1:1, 14; Col. 1:13-20; 2 Cor. 5:18-19). Through the Scriptures, God has revealed a salvation so profound that scholars and theologians spend their lives delving into its mystery. At the same time, little children – with child-like faith, are able to grasp the simplicity of God’s gracious gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. And this was Timothy’s experience. Beginning at age five, boys growing up in ancient Jewish homes were taught the “sacred writings” – a regimen commanded in the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 6:7; Psalm 71:17; Psalm 78:5-7). Though his father was a Gentile, Timothy’s Jewish mother and grandmother adopted this practice of teaching him the word of God from infancy (2 Tim. 1:5). Developing the habit of Bible reflection is important for every believer – no doubt. But it is also the privilege and responsibility of Christian parents to teach their children the word of God which is able to make, even a child, “wise for salvation.” And this was Paul’s point: Why is the “Good Book” good? Because, the Scriptures are able to teach even 1
young children how to get right with God – how to be reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. … and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. 3:15 The Scriptures are Good for Challenging—Correcting and Confronting How we grow (go) right Guardrails along a highway are specifically purposed to guide, confront and correct – informing the driver of where to steer the car and what to avoid. Of course the person behind the wheel has the freedom to either conform to the guardrails or ignore them. But disregard of guardrails can be costly and painful. Even so, the Scriptures serve as guardrails – directing believers along the path of all that establishes and encourages a fulfilled life. Disregard of Biblical truth will prove costly and painful as well. This is because the principles and precepts of Scripture are not the capricious musings of philosophers or theologians. The Bible is not a collection of fables or mythical stories. It never originated with humans. The Scriptures are completely trustworthy because the Holy Spirit supervised the writing of every word. And yet, reading through the Scriptures, one can feel the various writers’ personalities coming through within diverse historical and cultural contexts – as each one wrote exactly what God wanted them to write. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 And because the Bible is God-breathed (inspired), its message is entirely authoritative – relevant for all time and insightful for Christian life and service. What is the “Good Book” good for? The Apostle Paul teaches that the Scriptures are a vital safeguard for every Christian (1 Cor. 10:6, 11). All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting… 2 Tim. 3:16 • To guide and instruct along the path of life • To admonish those who fall into sin. (1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2) • To correct erroneous ideas and beliefs – redirecting them back onto the right path (2 Tim. 2:25; 4:2). In essence, to be immersed in the Scriptures prevents one from slipping away from a commitment to the truth. Our world is not that dissimilar from young Timothy’s. We are constantly presented with distractions that would take us off the “straight and narrow way” (Matthew 7:13-14). But the Scriptures provide guardrails for our protection to minimize the harm and regrets resulting from taking wrong paths. This is why it is imperative for us to frequently spend time reflecting on the truths found in God’s Word – the great truths that help us grow right and keep us protected from harm. The Scriptures are Good for Coaching – Conforming How do we keep it right? What is the “Good Book” good for? Paul says it’s good for “…training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17” Not only are the Scriptures good for leading one to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ or hemming a believer within the safe boundaries of a full and vital life; but the Scriptures are also good for training Christians how to be effective in performance of their mission. We are called to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and, like Christ, to have a lasting effect upon our world (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10). But were it not for the Holy Spirit’s application of the God’s word in our 2
lives, we would have no way of knowing what that “image” should look like. Through His word, God has revealed a clear and compelling vision of how a life “in Christ” should appear – and it looks a lot like Jesus. But let’s take this idea of “training” a bit further. An athlete doesn’t “hit it out of the park” the first time up to bat. Neither does a Christian perform “every good work” instinctively without some training and discipline. As an athlete depends upon a coach to perfect skills and enhance performance, even so, the Scriptures, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can train and prepare believers to perfect skills necessary to perform the good works God has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) – or as Paul writes to Timothy, “every good work.” A person may have all the zeal to know the Scriptures, but mere knowledge alone is virtually useless unless it is focused/purposed to equip the believer to continue Christ’s work in the world. Here is the bottom line. What is the “Good Book” good for? The Bible is good for securing salvation, for helping the believer grow and to train him/her to be ready at all times to accomplish everything good work in a way that would bring pleasure to the Lord.
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