The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky of Brighton, England. Rays glistened from the ancient sphere illuminating every object in sight. Darkness became light. Night became day. Bottlenose grey dolphins whistled squeakily as their steam-lined torpedo shaped bodies propelled themselves forward in and out of the turquoise-colored ocean. Tides oscillated back and forth like the pendulum of an ancient clock. A new day meant new opportunities for Terry. Enzymatic coffee flavors permeated the breezy air from the local shop. Terry sauntered steadily through the beige warm fine-grained sand. Hunting. Searching for something of great value. Astonishingly, Terry heard a vehement noise as he was holding on tenaciously to his metallic metal detector. A brown coin surfaced amongst the 1,000s of grainy sand pebbles along the beachy coast. This was the start of a new journey. A new hobby. Terry didn’t know where the coin was from or the implications it would have on his life.

Quite a time later, Terry settled near Hammerwich, UK. And found the Staffordshire Hoard. These items are worth millions of dollars and are a unified collection of Anglo-Saxon items from warriors, princes, and Kings. Below is a link to the Anglo-Saxon Hoard.

The Staffordshire Hoard

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/the-story-of-the-hoard/what-is-the-staffordshire-hoard-made-from

Little did Terry know that the greatest treasure he actually dug up was not in the Gold or 4 million dollars worth of valuables. Terry actually dug up God’s truth! Above is part of the Staffordshire Hoard’s treasure. This is the opening of the Gospel of Mark. God’s eternal Word. God’s Truth. It contains the truth of salvation, judgment, God’s promises, blessings, and commands to Worship Him and Him alone. The Bible is so valuable the many martyrs found it worthy to die for.

Pictured Above- William Tyndale was promised to be able to print an English Bible from King Henry VIII’s abode. However, King Henry VIII wanted to print his own version. Tyndale was eventually convicted of Heresy for believing in the forgiveness of sins and that the Gospel provided mercy and was enough for salvation. He was sentenced to death for his beliefs in Christian Doctrine and was betrayed by King Henry VIII.

Why is the Bible Valuable?

Hebrew Word- Chokmah

Above is the Hebrew Word for Wisdom or Skillful living. As we live the Christian life and mature, we gain the ability to discern or know what is good or evil. Sometimes this means standing alone even in the midst of a culture that professes Christ. Everyone is professing Christ nowadays. The mature man has convictions before trials or temptations arise. He knows what he is going to do in certain situations before they happen. The immature base their decisions on the culture. Their mentality is that since everyone else is doing it, the action must be okay. Let me tell you something. The culture and professing Christians are diving into sin. They will say that homosexuality is okay, it’s okay to go to clubs, sleep with your boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. We need to be prepared to walk worthy of the Gospel message of Christ (Philippians 1:27-30). We need to be prepared to move from children to Fathers in maturity (1 John 2:12-14).

What are you convictions about the following situations?

1. Can Christians go to nightclubs?
2. Smoke hookah?
3. Drink at a bar?
4. Gamble or play poker in a casino?
5. Live with members of the opposite sex?
6. Play games with sexual words such as Cards against humanity?
7. Kiss your girlfriend?
8. Make out with your girlfriend?
9. Have sex with your girlfriend?
10. Live a homosexual lifestyle?
11. Go to festivals/concerts like raves, stagecoach or coachella?

Where do we go for Wisdom in these situations? We go to the Word of God and Christ who is the personification of Wisdom. Professing Christians will tell you that all of the above are okay. Not all professing Christians but some of them. Again, everyone is professing Christ nowadays and indulging in clear sins. How would one go about making a conviction on the above categories?

1. What does the Word of God say? Is this a clear sin or a grey area?
2. If it’s a grey area, what are the principles?
3. Get counsel from Godly people.
4. How does participating in one of these activities affect my witness for Christ and His Gospel?
5. Would people get the sense that I’m of the world or of the kingdom of heaven?
6. Is participating in any of these activities necessary?
7. Is my decision to participate based on the fact that everyone is doing it? That all of my friends are doing it and I want to be social? Or is my decision based on the Word of God and a love for his commandments?
8. Would I be able to comfortably participate in this activity in front of an elder at church? If no, why? If you can’t participate in front of an elder, why do you think God would approve who sees everything at all times? He’s everywhere. (Psalm:139)

People are wasting away their time in light of Eternity

Clearly, people are spending most of their time on social media platforms. What you spend your time on the most is what you love. It’s what you care the most about. It’s what you believe will bring you the most satisfaction. We don’t need more passive men. We need men that have convictions and live for Christ with pure motives. Men that know what they are doing and why they are doing it. Men that are willing to stand up for the truth in the wake of a perverse and crooked generation. Most men aren’t spending time in the Word or value it as they should. They are on social media looking at what Kim Kardashian is up to or the next video Mr. Beast has put out. A feeble love for the Word of God produces feeble Christian living. Being in the Word is important.

Get Hungry

There is no such thing as a believer who hates the Word of God. Loving the Word of God is a mark of a true believer. (John 8:31)- “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples'”

For it is the truth of the Word that has transformed the believer’s life to a new disposition and a new direction. Everything for life and godliness in contained in the Word of God! 2 Peter 1:3- “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” We are called to a full knowledge. Our works are not the root of salvation but authenticate our salvation and make our election and calling sure. We can have assurance of salvation!- 2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure, for in doing these things, you will never stumble”

Genuine affection and faithful love for the Word of God will mold a heart that is captivated by Christ, unweakened by temptation and unwavering in resolve- Seth Kniep

You cannot Worship the God without using His Word. True worship gives your affections, desires, thinking, volition, and praises to the only One and true God! Being in the Word is part of worshipping Him. The Word informs us how to think, act, and praise Him for what He has done! God wants true worshippers that are wholly dedicated.

In the New Testament, the Shema is quoted and uses the word mind. So it reads “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. True worship is about our mind, affections, and desires. The Psalmist cries out in Psalm 119:17 “And your Law is my delight.” He longs to understand the valuable Word of God!

A child of God who neglects the scriptures can not please the Lord of Glory- Robert C Chapman

It is possible to know about the Bible but not love Christ. Believers love the Bible and Christ as the focal point of their lives.

-This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book

The believer pants for God’s word like the deer in Psalm 42:1- “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pant for you O God.” I love how the Psalmist in Psalm:119 exclaims Let! Let me understand your word. It is all by God’s grace that we can even understand His word. We can’t understand the word by our own strength.

Conclusion

Martyrs died for the Word of God to be translated. Jesus Christ died for the Word. There are bloodstains all over the valuable Word of God. The Word transforms hearts and sanctifies us. Being in the Word is a mark of a true believer. Believers pant for the Word like the deer and rely on God’s grace to understand. Believers live for the Word and it dominates their lives to live for Him and His purposes. We want to know our God, keep His commandments, protect ourselves from the evil one, and walk worthy of the Gospel message. Being in the Word is about true Worship to the only one who is worthy of that kind of affection. It’s about living out the Shema with all of our Heart, soul, and mind. Terry thought that he found the greatest treasure in the 4 million dollars he undug. But the true treasure was in the scriptures that provided the truth of eternal life. Encourage each other to be in the word. To go to seminary, to take Bible classes, to take Biblical Counseling. For the man that is feeble in the Word probably lives a feeble Christian life. There is no such thing as a believer that hates the Word of God. Encourage others to pursue it with zealousness at all costs. To be a Christian is to love the Word of God, live for the Word of God, and know our creator. The world is filled with too many passive men that spend their time fruitlessly. Remember this- what you spend the most time on is what you love. Do you love the Word of God? Be in it. Love it. Live it. Eternity is coming.

Sources-

Loving God’s Word Seth Kniep

Final Word John Macarthur

Legacy Standard Bible

Logos Bible Software