Sermon Central
-
Why Do I Need The Bible?
Contributed by Gregory Mc Donald on Oct 14, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: What the Bible is to the Believer and why it is so important to us!!!
Why Do I Need The Bible?
Heb. 4:12-13; 1 Peter 1:23-25
Pastor Greg Mc Donald
I want to start this mornings message with asking you a question. “Why Do I Need The Bible? What’s so great about this Book? If I was to ask you this question, what would you say to me? What scriptures would you show me to make me believe that I needed to read it?
In today’s society there are so many THINGS people need, but one of the THINGS they seem to think they don’t need is the scriptures. If I was to ask you how much do you read the Bible, what would you tell me? A better question to ask I think would be, “How important is the Bible to you”? How much do you value it?
In the world today, we have more access to the Bible then ever before, but there seems to be a famine for the Word of God. Why is that? It’s because people don’t understand the value of it! If your Bible kept a dairy, would it read this.
January: A busy time for me. Most of the family decided to read me through this year. They kept me busy for two weeks. I’m now forgotten.
February: My owner used me for a few minutes last week. He had an argument and was checking references.
March: Grandpa visited us. He kept me on his lap for an hour, reading 1 Cor.13
April: I had a busy day. My owner was appointed a leader of something and used me. I got to go to church the first time this year...Easter Sunday.
May: I have a few grass stains on my pages. Had some early spring flowers pressed in me.
June: I look like a scrap book. They have stuffed me full of clippings. One of the girls got married.
July: They put me in a suitcase today. I guess we’re of on vacation. I wish I could stay at home, as I will have to stay in this thing for a month.
August: Still in suitcase.
September: Back home again, and in my old place. I have lots of company. Two “Field and Streams” and Four “Readers Digest” are on top of me. I wish I could be read as much as they are.
October: They used me a little today. One of them is sick. Right now I’m all shine up and in the center of the table...I think the preacher is coming.
November: Back in my old place.
December: They are getting ready for Christmas. I’ll be covered under wrapping papers and packages.
If your Bible kept a dairy, would it be like this one? We could all look at this Illustration and think it’s funny and cute, but for many I believe this is what happens to their Bibles. Many Christians run around in defeat because they don’t know what the scriptures say.
*Even the enemy knows the scriptures and he will try to use them against you. Look at Eve.
How much time does it take to read from Genesis to Revelation? If you would read the Bible at standard pulpit speed (slow enough to be heard and understood) the reading time would be 71 hrs. If you would break that down into minutes and divide it into 365 days you could read the entire Bible, cover to cover, in only 12 minutes a day.
But let me ask you, is this to much to ask of a Christian? To take 12 minutes a day and just sit down, relax, and learn about Someone who loves you more than anything. Is this to much to ask of someone to learn about the reaches and power they have as God’s children? Is this to much to ask of someone to read that which encourages them and instructs them keeping them from sinning?
It Can Keep You From Sinning Read Psalm 119:11
The Word of God is powerful enough to keep you from sinning if you would only take 12 minutes a day to hide it in your heart. READ (James 1:22-25) Then spending the remainder of the day being a doer of the Word and becoming blessed.
Pickle Illustration: A cucumber doesn’t become a pickle by just dipping it into all the right ingredients. It has to marinade in it for a long time. Also the cucumber while in the canning jar, it must be put into a pressure cooker over heat. Many times as we read God’s Word and get a new revelation of what it is saying, we are getting the right ingredients put in, but don’t forget there is still the heat and press that follows. So today when you go home and the rest of the week you have the Lord’s permission to JUST GET PICKLED!!!
