What's so special about the Bible?

[0:00] The Word of Life is one of the titles of the Word of God. And a question we can often be confronted with is what is so special about the Bible?

[0:12] ! Today we've got textbooks, we've got comic books, cookbooks, reference books, poetry books, travel books, fiction, non-fiction, technical, the list is endless, many kinds of books.

[0:27] But I put to you one book, one book is supreme and stands above all other books, the Bible. Why is the Bible so special?

[0:38] For the Word of God is quick, in other words it's alive, and it's powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[0:55] The Bible is the Word of God, that's what it's called here, the Word of God. Sadly, it's a missing book these days, as it was in the days of Samuel.

[1:07] The prophet Samuel, it says of that time, and the Word of the Lord was precious in those days. This word precious, it means rare. The Word was precious.

[1:19] Here it portrays how it was a rare thing, it was lacking. I put to you that's alike to these days of ours. We have a lot of Bible illiteracy today.

[1:31] Amos foretells of such a time also. In Amos 8, verse 11, There's many churches today, sadly, where the Bible is missing.

[2:04] We heard Jesse recount there of a situation where a church might have a lot of liturgy, a lot of tradition, a lot of man-made books and writings and doctrines of man, and yet lack the very Bible itself.

[2:21] It's like there's a Bible famine in the land, isn't it? People get very little Bible even when they do attend church. They miss out on Bible teaching sessions.

[2:33] And preachers tell all kinds of stories these days of their own making, making scant reference to the actual Bible, and we end up with spiritually malnourished believers.

[2:45] Some would turn to latter-day prophets of their own making, or of man's inventions, and miss the Bible. It seems like most Australians today reject the Bible out of hand.

[2:58] We see that. As when we're witnessing, some of us, we come across such people that would routinely dismiss the book as written by men, or deride it, put it down, scoff and mock.

[3:14] Yet they will follow all kinds of other philosophies of books written by men, of philosophies invented by men. But they won't give the Bible an honest hearing.

[3:25] This is the sad truth, isn't it, for Aussies these days? Paul tells Timothy of such a time to come. He tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4 verse 2, preach the word.

[3:39] Be instant, in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.

[4:06] Many are turned to fables these days, yet they will turn their ear away from the truth. When you see, as you can tune in across media to various popular TV preachers these days, often it's a lot of recounting of stories of their own experience, and the actual Bible is rarely spoken of or twisted to fit their own imaginations.

[4:38] Paul urges Timothy to rather turn to the word of truth. It's the word of life, it's also called the word of truth. As we read in this scripture, 2 Timothy 2 verse 15, Paul says to Timothy, study to show thyself, approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, the word of truth.

[5:00] But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness. We have a need of truth telling in such a time as this, in a time where there is, a time where the word of God is precious, it's rare, it's also a time where there's a famine in the land.

[5:16] We have a need to tell the truth. In a world where there's much false teaching, false churches, false teachers, the Bible is God's message to you, and this is the message we must declare loud and clear.

[5:28] And to reject the Bible, really, you reject it at your peril. It's God's message for you. So what makes the Bible so special? It is the word of God.

[5:40] And the Bible is proven time and time again with fulfilled prophecies. There's no other book that has such a quality to it. It's been reckoned that more than one quarter of your Bible is predictive prophecy.

[5:55] So it's telling what's yet ahead. At the time it was written, it was prophetic. One quarter of the Bible. Now approximately, they reckon, one third of it has yet to be fulfilled.

[6:07] So this book is more current than tomorrow's newspaper. Amen. It's yet to be fulfilled. It's prophecy. And that's special. That's something that sets the word of God apart from every other book.

[6:20] The Bible has a special authority. We can find the answers for life here that we need. Only here in this one, this one book, the word of God. This is our absolute final authority.

[6:33] That's what we declare as a church, that it is true in every word. The unbeliever turns his ears away from it. I hear my friend Peter, often in the witnessing time, he would ask an unbeliever, can I just give you one Bible verse?

[6:52] And most often they won't even hear one. They won't even listen to one. Not one Bible verse. Now there's 31,102 verses in here. 31,102 verses.

[7:05] But they will not even hear one Bible verse. They turn away their ears from the truth. They would rather have vain and profane babblings. Think of what the social media seems to dominate with with is what's profane, isn't it?

[7:23] Cursing the name of the Saviour. It's full of blasphemies and sinful messaging. I was just, I heard about TikTok lately and had a bit of a glance at that and it's repulsive.

[7:36] The trend, the tendency of it, what it mages on, it's repulsive stuff. How could anyone even want to see such things? And yet it's typical of the world, isn't it?

[7:48] Profane and vain. They'll just turn to that which is vanity and profanity. And so we see that's the trend. That's the world, sadly.

[7:59] And Bible rejecters are really, actually rejecting the authority of God over their lives. I like to Luke 19,14 as our Lord talks about those citizens who rejected the authority.

[8:13] It says, His citizens hated Him and sent a message after Him saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. It's the world's message still, isn't it?

[8:24] We don't want Jesus to rule over us. We don't want Him to be Lord. That's what the world would say. They reject His authority. And this is the authority of God. It's His authority.

[8:34] It's authorised. It's the authority of God. This is God's plumb line. In other words, it's straight up and down. If it's out of whack with this, then it's not right. When you build a house, you build us, you need some plumb lines to make sure the bricks are laid straight up and down in the right alignment.

[8:55] And so, likewise with the Bible. It's called God's plumb line. It's how we measure. Something's out of sync, out of whack. It's out of accord with the Bible. That's telling us what's right and telling us what's wrong.

[9:08] So there's life in this book. It's the word of life. The word of life. And we hear how Paul tells the Philippians, he speaks about holding it forth. Holding forth.

[9:19] There's another place where he talks about holding it fast. There's holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Holding it forth.

[9:30] That's what we do as a church, as believers, individually, in our witnessing, in our own lives. We're holding it forth to a world that needs this message of life.

[9:41] Holding it forth. And yet some continue on in their blindness. They won't have life. They won't have the life of God. They won't have salvation. They're blinded in their minds.

[9:52] These are the ones we want to hold forth this word of life, even if they might spurn it. At least we've offered it, we've extended it on God's behalf. Even to those who are blinded in their minds, praying that God will open their blinded minds so that they can see.

[10:08] The Bible calls them dead. And friends, we were once in that number. I was once dead. Now I'm alive. By the grace of God. It says, Ephesians 2 verse 1, and this is for all of you that believe.

[10:20] It says, you have he quickened. You have he made alive, is what it means. You have he quickened who are dead in trespasses and sins. Thank God, we who were once dead in sin, now he's made us alive.

[10:32] He's quickened us. Yet there's many, the living dead, walking our streets in this community, isn't there? The living dead, that's what they are. They think they're alive but they're actually dead.

[10:44] I don't like to talk about zombies but in a sense that's what they are, isn't it? They're the living dead. Really they are. They look like they're alive but truly, they're deep down, they're dead people, walking.

[10:55] And they refuse the word of life. They refuse it, they reject it. Friends, it's alive, the word of life. It's alive, it's quick, it's quick and powerful. In other words, it's alive. This book is alive, it's a living book.

[11:07] The word of God is quick, you can be quickened by it. It can quicken you, it can make you alive who are dead in trespasses and sins if you will but receive the glad message of it.

[11:18] And so, to tell of the word of life, it is God's manual for living, the maker's instructions. Hear the words of the saviour. He says, it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.

[11:33] He says, the spirit quickens, the spirit makes alive but the flesh profits nothing. The words, he says, the Lord Jesus says, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

[11:46] God's spirit quickens, we need the working of God's Holy Spirit to make us alive and he does make men live. These words are life, eternal life. Peter recognised that as he addressed the Lord.

[11:59] He addressed our Lord in John 6, 68. Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. The words of eternal life.

[12:09] You can't say that about any other so-called holy book today. Thou hast the words of eternal life. We're actually advantaged in this time that we live that we've got the whole 66 books because, of course, we know back in earlier time they might have only had a book or two or as far as it was given at that time they wouldn't have had the whole 66.

[12:34] We've got the whole 66 books and we put it in a leather cover and hold it in our hands and receive it, can't we? How we should treasure it. Thou hast the words of eternal life.

[12:48] There's no one else to go to. There's no prophet, no prophetess that you can find such words than his words, the words of eternal life.

[12:58] So who else can we go? The angel told the apostles, go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. This is life and we want to tell these words.

[13:12] Go and tell. Go and tell these words. That's for us today. Now you might not be able to make the kind of planned witnessing time that we have as a church but be a messenger of the word.

[13:24] Take it. Go and stand and speak the words of this life. Take it and tell it to others. God's life is in this book. Eternal life. Eternal.

[13:36] The Bible says Proverbs 30 verse 5 every word of God is pure. He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. And we are a church that believes that.

[13:47] Every word. Every word of God is pure. We have all his words. Every word of his words. We have all of them. Every word. Every one of the 783,137 words.

[14:02] That's what we have. The words of God. Every word of God is pure. We believe that. That we have every word of God's word. We believe the Bible. We don't cast doubt on it as some preachers can these days.

[14:15] God's word it says is pure. Some people don't like that about our church. That we believe we have a Bible we can believe from cover to cover. But that is where we must stand.

[14:27] We know it to be the word of God. Amen. And we will uphold it in steadfast faith. Because these are words of life. Every word. That we must impart to others.

[14:38] as the angel exhorted the men to go to Peter in Acts 11 verse 14. The angel said of Peter who shall tell these words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

[14:55] The words that we tell the words that we have are words whereby we can be saved. There's a message of salvation. Eternal life is in here in this book.

[15:05] Words. Some would I know there's a popular saying you can witness without words. Well maybe technically you can but in a Bible sense you've got to confess it.

[15:20] You've got to speak it. Confess it. These are words. It's by the words we say. Faith cometh by hearing. We've got to open our mouth and that can be hard for any one of us to do. Me included. It can be hard to open our mouth and tell words.

[15:34] But we must. We must share these words. The word of God is quick and powerful. It's supernaturally powerful. If we lack power perhaps it is because we lack Bible.

[15:46] Here is the energy literally. It's alive and it's powerful. The word powerful is literally energy. Energio. It's the effectual working of God. If you neglect the Bible you will not have the power.

[15:59] So I urge you brothers and sisters and I know I need to be in the book more. I know my dear wife's in the book far more than me. She's in there night and day at the moment especially hanging on to the word of God as it's a tough time for her right now.

[16:14] And this is the word that we've got to hang on to and hold fast and confess it even though the situation is difficult. If you neglect the Bible you neglect the power of God.

[16:27] The Bible is life transforming. The word of life it's life transforming. So I put to you the Bible transforms lives. People that have got this book and really taken the message of salvation from this book their lives have changed.

[16:41] It makes a dramatic change. It tells us that it's sharper than any two edged sword. It's sharp. Now I don't know about you I know when I've got a splinter and usually I go to my dear wife for that because she likes to jab me.

[16:56] No she likes to help me because I've got a bit of a phobia with the needles and what not and she makes a point that she says make sure it's a sharp one you know because if you try to dig something out one of those splinters out with a dull needle you know it's worse and we need sharp we need a sharp needle and we need a sharp sword amen it's a heavenly sharp sword it's sharper than any two edged sword when you need the heavenly heart doctor to operate to perform his surgery on your spiritual heart you want that scalpel sharp not some blunt butter knife that's what we have here it's sharper than any two edged sword this can do a heavenly work in your soul and in your spirit sometimes it's cutting edge provokes an adverse reaction we see for example there's numbers of times where it talks about this kind of penetrating this prodding this cutting this provoking this pricking of the sword of the spirit as it were as we see for example in Acts 5.33 it says they heard and they were cut to the heart they were cut to the heart that's what the word of God does it's sharp we see another reference in Acts 7.54 when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth now I've been preaching for a while but I've never had anyone gnash on me with their teeth yet but that's what happened when the word of God cut to the heart they started to gnash on the preacher with their teeth so sometimes the sharpness of the sword provokes a repentance and a faith of course that's kind of figurative I'm sure but that's sense where they're gritting their teeth at him I suppose and there's a cutting to their heart another reference is Acts 2.37 of course at Pentecost when they heard this they were a print and in other words they were pierced thoroughly in their heart there was a piercing in their heart and they said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles men and brethren what shall we do so we see again to recap they were cut to the heart cut to the heart

[18:59] Acts 5 Acts 7 they were pricked in their heart this is a sharp sword amen it's God's life giving book and it shows how we can receive God's gift of new life as it reads in 1 Peter 1 23 being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever so it's telling us here that this book has the message of the new birth we're born again by it this message of salvation this message of the born again experience is given for us here it's by the seed it's by this life giving seed this incorruptible seed in other words a seed that will not fade away it's a strong lasting seed that will not die think of seeds at times of old I believe they found seeds in the Egyptian pyramids that they're still planting and they still have life in them that's an amazing thought isn't it and it's so too with this book well more so with this book that it is an everlasting seed it lives and it abides forever it's an eternal book so that's another dimension that this book why is the bible so special it's an eternal book it's eternal it goes beyond time and space beyond human dimension of reckoning of time and this book is going to last forever it will be forever with us it stands the test of time

[20:29] I like to say there's no expiry date there's no use by date you don't have to worry about it going off and going stale having to throw it out like with food it's forever it's forever it abideth it lives abides forever and the bible says that we are born again by the message of this book it's a soul saving manual people are still being born again today by this book there's no other book to be born again by amen this is the salvation book it's the soul saving manual this is the life giving seed this message if received germinates and makes us alive unto God this seed will never corrupt this message will never die what matters is the condition of the soil we know as we share the gospel in our individual ways some will be like that rock solid ground the ground that you can't plant anything in it's just like a rocky ground or that ground that would just have weeds and strangle the growth or will it be a ground that will flourish and produce crops the seed will never corrupt what is the condition of the soil speaking of the hearts of the hearers will you receive the word will you be like the receptive soil a soil that will take the seed and it's going to blossom and grow flourish this is a life giving message and it's unique the message of this book imparts life the promises availed to all who will believe these promises are yea and amen they are true very true and very much for us today friends that's why it tells us to go out bearing precious seed psalm 125 verse 5 says they that sow in tears shall reap in joy sometimes it can be hard yakka when you keep sowing you keep telling you keep witnessing and you get 99% mock you or scorn you or reject you for it and it can be hurtful but it says they that sow in tears shall reap in joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him so it's telling of the harvest that will come from sowing the seed and sowing it no matter how we might feel no matter how hard it might be humanly just to sow keep sowing faithfully sow because it's a life giving book it's also a life changing book a life changing book we see by it we can have everlasting life as Paul tells young Timothy 2 Timothy 3 14 but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learnt them and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in

[23:36] Christ Jesus I urge you read the Bible I think there's a sticker you can get to put in your Bible that says there's a free gift inside isn't that true there's a free gift inside this book other books were given for our information the Bible was given for our transformation it's a life changing book and it's able to make thee wise unto salvation and that word able able to make thee wise is the word from which we get our word dynamite it's able it's powerful this is it's able to make thee wise it's powerful to make thee wise it's like dynamite that dynamite of his word can impact your life there'll be a transforming there'll be a changing the word of god truly is like this dynamite this power of the word it makes an impact for example the prophet jeremiah tells it's not my word like as a fire saith the lord and like a hammer that break at the rock in pieces think of that the picture of the word as being like a fire that purges that spiritually we could consider it purges sin it purifies our heart and lives and then it's like a hammer we could consider that it breaks down all resistance that hammer that chips away that hits away and hits things in our life and it breaks down that resistance and brings that conviction to even the hardest of hearts that god can work through that fire that hammer that is his word it's also likened the word to a purifying stream of water so there's lots of pictures here how we need this word this as it talks about the washing of water by the word this purifying stream in this world that's so foul and defiled

[25:25] I think we need a daily brainwashing as it were that daily cleansing of our minds because the foulness of this world is just so prevalent isn't it and as the psalmist in Psalm 119 verse 9 declares wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed there too according to thy word how can a young man have a clean life and live clean and have a clean way taking heed to the word of God taking hold of it taking heart of the word the word the word is likened likewise to a lamp to guide our way if you're having struggles you're not sure where to go what to do the word is a lamp I like how it says a lamp unto our feet so in the immediate like the present and it's a light unto our path it shows us the way forward as well not only is it a light a lamp unto our feet in the present but it's a light unto our path it shows us the way forward how to live no other book has this unique message I put to you today why is the bible so special and we could give you all kinds of reasons of logic and there are reasons of logic there are there's rational reasons why just intelligently we should accept this book but even more so spiritually because this book is unique there's nothing like it there's no other book no other so-called holy book like it it's absolutely unique isn't it not only is it life transforming and life changing the word of god is life sustaining there's life in the book there's life sustaining power in the word of god as we read 2 timothy 3 verse 16 it says that 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 thoroughly furnished unto all good works so god's word sustains his people in all these dimensions it's given for us and it's profitable for us there's a value for us in this book god's word sustains his people that's why we need it and god's breathed his word that's the word inspired it's god's breathed his word it was penned by human writers but we know that it was god who breathed it god who brought it to man through human writers who penned god's word as they were led by the spirit of god so we see as it reads here how is it profitable it's profitable for doctrine so in other words for learning if we want to know the truth if we want to be receiving teaching it's profitable for learning what is right it's profitable secondly for reproof so in other words rebuking there's a need for rebuke sometimes when someone is out of order it's about convicting us about what is not right so doctrine learning what is right reproof convicting about what is not right thirdly it's profitable for correction for setting things straight is the sense of it in other words for giving us guidance and improvement for correction guiding us how to get right is the correction that we need and also for instruction in righteousness in other words training nurturing us with respect to righteousness if we want to live right if we want to be trained in how to stay right then get in the word it's profitable learning what is right convicting what is not right guiding how to get right and training how to stay right so all of those areas and you can gain an incredible value from this book why is the bible so special it's more precious than gold more precious than fine gold it's profitable no other book will give you the profit of your soul that this book can give if you but heed its word the bible shows us how we are to live it's our rule

[29:26] of faith and conduct in other words when we have to make a decision about what to believe or how to behave our faith our conduct we go to the word to guide our steps to lead our way and so brothers and sisters today you can grow your faith in deeper ways as you take heart take hold of this book by the bible we can be equipped thoroughly equipped it says thoroughly furnished thoroughly furnished completely equipped for service if you want to serve god if you want to know how to live the christian life here's all the equipment you need you can be thoroughly equipped you can be completely equipped for service for a life that pleases god and god's word equips us to do that work that he's called us to do someone has said the bible is a letter from god with our personal address on it this is personal this is god's message to you it's got your name and address on it he's delivered it to you so that you can have it for yourself it's telling you god's plan for man for you for each one who will receive it and true joy is found in the message received we see as jeremiah says chapter 15 verse 16 in part he says thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart friends what's so special about the bible it's a joy and rejoicing of our heart isn't it the joy of salvation that heartfelt joy as we open these pages and read really god's love letter to us that's what it is he loves you and he's written you this love letter so read it heed it there's true guidance for life it says of psalm 1 that blessed one the blessed man it says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the lord and in his law does he meditate day and night there's true guidance for life here meditate in it day and night take that time make that time put that time in your diary to have that time to make that time happen

[31:32] I know there's some that listens to the word of god as they're driving along and they've got it coming in the ear gate all the time get it in the eye gate as you read it take it and read it meditate on it day and night day and day night and night friends the word of god is life sustaining and blessed is the man that walketh in this that has this delight the law of the lord and so the word of god is life sustaining we live by the word it's what the lord jesus said in matthew 4 verse 4 as he says he answered and said it is written it is written it's here it's in black and white i like to say it's black and white and red as well in some bibles it's the word of god it's written it is written it says it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god we live by it we live by the word we live by the word of god we shall not live by bread alone but by every word of god know it read it meditate on it memorize it hide it in your heart something supernatural happens as we put the word of god into our heart and life when we read this special book and act upon its message it tells us here he sent his word and he healed them and delivered them from their destructions that's psalm 107 verse 20 god sends his word and he heals us the deepest healing really that every soul needs is that healing of the soul and so i urge you if you're outside of christ as you're hearing these words let the word come he's sending his word he'll heal you that working of god that can heal your soul that can make you whole wholeness comes when we heed and yield to god's word so friends today the bible breaks hard hearts and it heals broken hearts it points us to the life that's found in christ the bible imparts faith so if you might lack faith maybe it's it's a lack of the word that can help your faith grow and flourish and increase the bible imparts faith as we read it tells us romans 10 17 so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of god when we share the gospel we don't tell fanciful stories or brag on about experiences that some that seem to make their witnessing all about telling of their stories or and that's not to discount there's a place for testimonies but for some they would brag on about supernatural experiences and such it's not about such it's about pointing people to the word of life it's about pointing people to the message of life the saving gospel faith comes by hearing hearing the gospel and sadly many reject his word even today over and over the bible commands us to receive the word as multiple times receive as the bereans did in act 17 11 it says that they were more noble than those in thessalonica they received the word it says with all readiness of mind they searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so they checked out what was being given to them by the preaching and they checked it out does it line up is it scripture does it accord with scripture that's what we have to do with any teaching these days every teaching there's the internet's a plethora of all kinds of teachings and teachers and doctrines and churches and and some of them are quite way out it's almost staggering what some people go along with as i've talked about lately of some church that that believes that jesus has come back as some asian woman and is living as an asian woman today and it's ridiculous stuff and yet some people believe such absolute rubbish and so we must search the scriptures whether

[35:33] these things are so we're exhorted to search the scriptures when we readily receive the word of god in james it reads wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness in other words lay aside all that overflowing of wickedness of the filth of this world and it says rather receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls lay apart all the filth and rubbish the mark of this world the wickedness of this evil way of this world and receive the engrafted word let it be implanted let it be engrafted let it live inside of you this word of god which is able to save your souls and james makes the point that we receive it with meekness so in act 17 they received it with all readiness meekness of mind james says receive it with meekness in other words have humility be humble enough i think that's what's stopping a lot of people who reject the bible they're too proud to bow the knee they're too proud to surrender their will to to the god who's made them they're too defiant and prideful that they will not humble themselves the bible says receive it with meekness have that humility of heart i would urge you that way to develop an appetite friends develop an appetite for the word of god now i don't know what you've got got on for lunch but i'll tell you you can have a feed today feed your soul feed your soul you might have some some lovely meal in mind to cook for lunch or tea tonight but friends this is the this is where we should have an appetite we should have an appetite for this shouldn't we an appetite i love chinese cooking or or you name it kind of cooking but but rather to feed your soul this isn't it feed your soul as peter tells the new believers there as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby feed your soul feed your faith it's sweeter than honey and it's by the word that we can be nourished spiritually and grow that's god's will so if you're not growing as a christian and i do see many that seem that they're not growing i think there's a problem with the the feeding they're not getting the food in we have have the case where you might have a malnourished child you know developmentally delayed this there's something that happens sometimes it's because they've not got the nutrition coming in so see the growth happen and it can happen with christians can't it we can get spiritually immature we can be stunted in our growth rather let's be such that we'll have that desire that hungering and thirsting why is the bible so special we can show all manner of reasons why we should intelligently believe it again there's there's great theological discourses about why the bible is believable and we can take that assurance that it is true it's proven as history records through archaeology through man's discoveries through comparing scientific knowledge that's clear with the word of god there's no mismatch it's all fits together you know i used to think as you read your bible those genealogies are a bit boring aren't they i mean just uh so and so begat so and so and that but they're important too because it shows the word of god is is historically accurate it gives us that chain of names of people born from people again it's it's a proof of the bible that it is historically accurate as well as spiritually more so believable again we could give all kinds of reasons why to intelligently believe it i guess i'm more putting to you today

[39:33] really the inherent reasons of the bible we can counter all of those false claims that would say there's error or contradiction any such claims can be fully addressed there's books that counter any such claims of supposed contradictions friends i want to assure you we can know assuredly i can give you books to underline this and to extrapolate this in great volumes of theology there is no error in the word of god there is absolutely no error i know that's one counter we got yesterday as we were witnessing oh there's there's some things that are you know so so no there's no error show me an error that's that's what peter said as we stood at the door with a man show me one error there is no error any such supposed or claimed error can be counted and fully addressed there is no error it's inerrant it is absolutely reliable from cover to cover it's absolutely true in every word and to miss the bible is to miss so much so much tremendous blessing friends i urge you today of course i'm i'm preaching to the converted you i'm sure you love your bible but let's love it more amen let's love it more dear saint don't neglect your bible it tells us of the word of god more to be desired are they than gold yeah than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward there's great reward today there's a great value there's a great reward it is the word of god after all it is the word of life it's life transforming with its unique message no other book can transform your life it's life giving as a seed that will germinate it's life changing showing us how we are to be born again it's life sustaining it shows us how to grow and to nurture this spiritual life to walk in it to be nourished in these truths you may have heard all of these truths and yet remain unconvinced we can speak to people over and over and try to get through but there's a blinding of the mind as the bible speaks of to truly uncover the spiritual truths of this book you must be born again it starts there really doesn't it and we might be born again just with that well we are born again just with that simple faith just with that simple trust and then it's it's a whole new dimension that unfolds before us to uncover the spiritual truths of this book we must be born again and then it takes a spiritual work to truly receive god's truth into your life the word of god tells us that this book is spiritually discerned so we need god's spirit to help us to understand this is not just some academic exercise of reading some textbook and trying to make sense of it we need god's spirit to help and guide us to help us receive his truth it's spiritually discerned thankfully the spirit of god is ready to help us amen it's been said that the bible is the only book whose author is always present when it is read so we've actually got the author with us while we're reading his book so oh can you help me with this one ask the author he's with you as you read it ask him to help you he's the author he's standing with you he's always present when you read it and he's always ready to help us as we take his word so truly it is a life-saving book the message of salvation is clear the way of life is laid out for us it's sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb trust the author of this book to lead you to guide your steps our lord says to you continue in my word continue in it and remain in that heart of wanting to receive it of

[43:33] taking it in to your heart and soul let us pray lord we thank you that your word is the word of life lord we know you are the author of life you're the prince of life you are the one who gives life to we that were dead in trespasses and sins that you could so enliven us that you can turn dead people into living saints of god lord that we can know such a thing lord we pray help us with these things we pray help us to have that faith to trust your word to take it in to receive it guide our steps lord help us to treasure your word as more precious than even fine gold that we can really and truly value it and lord to give us faith faith to believe it but even more faith to act upon it faith to receive the savior of whom this book speaks so we can be born again and know yes lord i trust you as my lord and savior and i receive your gift of salvation well we thank you for these precious truths help us to put them into action and all to your glory and christ we ask in jesus name amen