Despising the Bible
23 March 2014 AM – Proverbs 13:13 – Scott Childs
Introduction: I have here in my hands two objects. One is a 1983 photo of my dear wife. The other is a bottle top. The photo is precious to me. The bottle top is junk. I keep the photo in my wallet that I carry with me all the time. I will toss the bottle top in the recycle bin.
I treat these things differently because of their values to me. This morning we are going to consider how we treat the Bible. We may treat it like it is precious to us or do we may treat it like a useless bottle cap? (Read Proverbs 13:13)
The word “despise” does not mean to hate something. Instead it means, “to treat as insignificant or unimportant.” So, God is warning us not to treat His Word as if it is not important.
Transition: This morning I want to answer four questions that come to our minds when we read Proverbs 13:13.
I. How May We Despise God’s Word?
A. By not reading the Bible at all
1. Many professing Christians never read the Bible other than in church.
2. They have a Bible, but they forget to take it to church and if they do, it returns to the dusty shelf when they get home.
B. By seldom reading it because it is not a priority
1. According to one survey in America only 19% of Protestants read their Bible daily. http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2012/september/80-of-churchgoers-dont-read-bible-daily-lifeway-survey.html
2. If the Bible is not important to you, you will seldom open its cover and read it.
C. By reading it but not meditating on it
1. You may read the Bible every day and get almost nothing from it because your attitude is not right.
a) You read a chapter of God’s Word and at the end you had no idea what you just read.
b) You may have read quickly to get it done.
c) Your reading may have been competing with the TV, radio, other thoughts, or family chatter.
2. You did your duty. You ticked all the right boxes, but truthfully, it did nothing for you. All it did for you is to make you feel self-righteous. Anyone who reads the Bible knows this struggle, but that is not a legitimate excuse – it is still despising God’s Word.
D. By reading and meditating but not living it.
1. Even when we read and meditate, we still despise the Bible and treat it as insignificant if we do not apply what we read to ourselves and put it into practice in our daily life.
2. James calls this person a “self-deceived, forgetful hearer” (Turn with me to Jas 1:22-25).
I have been there and done that. I know what it is like to do all the right things and to tick all the right boxes but not see it truly change my life. It is an empty existence. It is self-righteous at best.
II. What Will Happen If We Despise God’s Word?
In years past, many sailors died of scurvy because of a lack of vitamin C in their diets. Without knowing it, they were ruining their own health by not eating foods containing vitamin C. Spiritually, this is what happens to Christians who despise the Bible in one of the ways we just mentioned.
A. God said we will be destroyed.
1. The word literally means, “to bring ruin on yourself.”
2. When you do not read the Bible or read it out of duty, you are harming yourself.
B. Despising God’s Word will ruin your life.
1. You will never know God’s closeness.
2. You will lack God’s power.
3. You will struggle with sin.
4. You will lack the fruits of the Spirit.
5. You may even be overcome by sin and lose all that is precious to you – your testimony, your morals, your children, and your marriage.
III. How May Fearing God’s Word Reward Us?
A. God will bless those who fear His commands
1. Be sure your motives are to learn and grow.
2. Be ready to change and obey what you learn.
B. The Bible will build us up spiritually
1. It increases one’s faith, Rom 10:17
2. It points us to salvation, Joh 5:24
3. It gives assurance of salvation, 1Jn 5:13
4. It keeps us from sin, Psa 119:11
5. It gives us victory over temptation, Eph 6:17
6. It convicts us when we do wrong, Heb 4:12
7. It cleans and makes us holy, Joh 17:17 (Eph 5:26)
8. It helps us grow spiritually, 2Ti 3:16-17 (1Pe 2:2, 2Pe 3:18, Col 1:10, Eph 3:16-17)
9. It gives direction in life, Psa 119:105 (Psa 119:130)
10. It make us unashamed, 2Ti 2:15
11. It makes us spiritually successful, Josh 1:8
IV. How May We Fearfully Read God’s Word?
A. Approach Bible reading with a godly attitude
1. Give Bible study your top priority.
2. Truly want to learn from your Bible study so that you can draw close to the Lord.
a) Earnestly read with a passion to learn.
b) Humbly study with a willingness to change.
c) Prayerfully meditate with a desire to grow.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
B. Approach Bible reading in the proper manner
1. Begin with a heart examination, Psa 139:23-24.
2. Confess and forsake every sin God brings to your mind, Pro 28:13.
3. Ask God to teach you something from His Word that you need for today.
Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
4. Continue reading where you left off the day before. Do not read here and there. The book of 1 John is a good place to begin. Remember, read to learn.
5. Search eagerly for God’s message as you read
Proverbs 2:4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
6. Stop and ponder everything that God points out to you (Jas 1:25). The word “look” literally means to bend over and look closely.
7. Look up words you do not understand.
8. Write down each truth God teaches you in a notebook or diary. This is very important! Date it.
9. Find a principle that applies to your life and write it in your notebook. A principle is a timeless truth or guideline that reveals the mind of God on a contemporary issue. Example: Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises while in prison, thus I should pray and sing praises during my trials.
10. When you complete your reading, review over the notes you took. Meditate on how God wants you to apply the principle to your life today. Ask God to give you the strength to apply it.
11. With God’s help, change your actions and apply the principle to your life right now.
12. Think about what you learned all day long and talk to God about it as you go about your day.
Conclusion: Proverbs 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. If you have not been daily reading the Bible, identifying principles, applying the Bible to your life, and meditating on what you learned, the Bible is not very special and important to you. You have been despising God’s Word. God says such despising will destroy or ruin your life. God will seem distant to you. You will not have victory over sin. You will not bear the fruits of the Spirit. Your children will suffer. Your marriage will suffer. Your character will suffer. Your testimony will suffer. You will not have a close flourishing relationship with God.
On the other hand, if you will fearfully study God’s Word as we have just described, God will bless your Christian life in ways you never thought possible. (Review “Fearfully read God’s Word” above). Give in to God. Begin to seek a close flourishing relationship with God this morning. Give the Bible top priority.
Song: I Surrender All – 394