Receiving Life Through the Book of Life
The Bible is a supreme gift that deserves our attention, study, and devotion.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the unparalleled significance of the Holy Bible, asserting that true education is incomplete without familiarity with its teachings. He cites notable figures like President Woodrow Wilson and Sir Walter Scott, who recognized the Bible as the ultimate source of wisdom, especially in times of crisis. Tozer encourages believers to invest in multiple copies of the Bible for study and devotion, highlighting that time spent in its pages is never wasted. He advocates for the Bible as the supreme gift to share with others, suggesting that its words can profoundly impact those who hear them.
Text
Volumes could be written in praise of the Holy Bible without using one word too many. President Woodrow Wilson once said that the Bible is a book of such importance that no one unacquainted with it can be said to be an educated man, and one who is familiar with it can be said to be uneducated. Sir Walter Scott, when he was dying, called for ?the book.? A servant inquired which of his thousands of volumes he meant, and the great man replied, ?The Bible, of course. For a dying man there can be no other book.? Even the skeptic, George Bernard Shaw, during the last years of his life, kept a Bible near him and never traveled without carrying a copy along with him.
We should all have several Bibles: a well-bound reference Bible for study and a large-print, plain-text Bible for devotional reading. That many at least. And if we can afford it (and we can if we will cut down somewhere else), we should have a good modern translation or two. There are dozens of them. Their chief value is to stimulate interest by affording a change of style and to throw sidelights upon the test of the familiar King James Version.
Money invested in Bibles is money well spent. Time spent in reading the Bible is not likely to be time wasted. The Bible is the supreme gift for friends and loved ones. Words spoken in favor of the Bible are good words and, if they should fall upon the right ears, might prove to be ?apples of gold in pictures of silver.?
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of the Holy Bible
- Having Multiple Bibles for Study and Devotion
- The Value of Modern Translations
- Praise for the Bible from notable figures
- The Bible as a source of education and wisdom
- A well-bound reference Bible for study
- A large-print, plain-text Bible for devotional reading
- Stimulating interest through different styles
- Throwing sidelights on the King James Version
Key Quotes
“For a dying man there can be no other book.” — A.W. Tozer
“Money invested in Bibles is money well spent.” — A.W. Tozer
“Time spent in reading the Bible is not likely to be time wasted.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Invest in multiple Bibles for study and devotional reading.
- Make time for regular Bible reading to deepen your understanding and faith.
- Consider using modern translations to stimulate interest and gain new insights.