Jump Start # 1424

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

  This passage is one that many of us heard over and over growing up. The King James translation begins this verse with “Study to show thy self approved…” Study or be diligent. Get into the book and the book will get into you. In Psalms we find often, “I love Thy law…” Paul told the Ephesians, “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (3:4). God’s inspired message was written down. It was a message that was to be read and understood. God didn’t communicate with feelings. He didn’t send cameramen. He sent preachers who preached and wrote the inspired message.

Simple thoughts. Nothing too profound for many of us familiar with the Bible. But there is something that is concerning:

• 33% high school graduates never read another book the rest of their lives
• 42% of college graduates never read another book after college
• 80% of American families did not buy or read a book last year

Now those stats are alarming. We know throughout this country that the daily newspaper is dying. No one is reading them. Many well known weekly news magazines have gone out of business. This generation doesn’t read. We watch our YouTube videos. We read short Facebook posts. But we don’t dive into books. We don’t get deep into academic studies.

This is a concern spiritually. God’s message is contained in a book. If books aren’t being read, then that includes the Bible. If our message is print oriented and fewer are reading print, then there is a growing segment of this society that will not be connected nor reached.

Here are a few thoughts that I have from this:

First, we must make sure that we are not one of the above statistics. We need to be reading. We need to daily read the Bible. We need to read other things as well. There are many rich and helpful and encouraging things to read. Don’t have time? Try to find some. Maybe less TV. Maybe less Facebook and texting. Set a goal and try to read so much every month. Reading grows the mind. It is healthy and helpful.

Second, get your children reading. Start with the little ones. Read to them. Many families do that. But once a child can read on their own, the concern seems to stop. This is when much of the reading stops. Visit the local library. Get some bookshelves in the kids rooms that actually have books in them. Again, turn off the electronics and grab a book. Get your child their own Bible. Spend time reading the Bible together.

Third, congregations need to help folks, especially newer people, to understand the Bible. Classes that teach the fundamentals of the Bible will help them understand the book better. Just handing someone a Bible isn’t enough. What’s the book about? Why are there so many books within this book? Why does it not all read the same? What about those words that I do not understand? Converting someone and sticking them in the middle of a class on Romans can be disastrous. Confused. Lost. Discouraged. The person may drop out and no one understands why.

Fourth, to reach non-readers, there may have to be some simple things to help them get introduced to the benefits of reading the Bible. Maybe a short video will help them to understand the value or explain the basics. Don’t assume everyone knows, when they don’t. Most don’t know the books of the Bible. Most do not know why we call it the “Bible” when that word is not used in the Bible at all. Most do not know how to abbreviate the books of the Bible, how to write out a passage reference, or how to read a passage reference. Those of us who have been around this for a long time tend to take such things for granted. We must stop doing that. We must put ourselves in the shoes of someone who knows nothing about the Bible. Build bridges that help not roadblocks that prevent the learning of God’s word.

Fifth, spend more time reading the Bible. I know of some who meet in public places just to read the Bible. They advertise these times and they begin with simple things, such as reading the Gospels. The hope is to get people to want to read the Bible more.

Sixth, in our heavily used powerpoint times, it is good for preachers once in a while, to just turn off the electronics and have the audience read in their own Bibles. It’s good to make your Bible personal and useable just for you. Underline words if you like. Write thoughts in the margins if you like. Make the Bible your tool to know the Lord.

Many like using their phones and tablets for the Bible. There is nothing wrong with that. A while back, I had a contest with the high school class about how fast we could find a passage. I know my Bible. I can turn to books just by the feel of my hands. The class had electronics. I had my Bible. The kids beat me over and over. I didn’t think that there was any way that they could get to a verse faster than I could. But they did. However, here is something about your Bible in book form that we may not understand. There is no other book that looks like a leather bound Bible. When I carry that, no one thinks that I may be reading Harry Potter, some college text book or anything else. Nothing looks like the Bible. When I read my Bible on a tablet, a person doesn’t know whether I’m checking my email, reading Facebook, playing Angry Birds, or reading the Bible. But that leather bound Bible, no question about that. I like that for that reason.

It’s important that we get folks back into the Bible. In personal Bible studies, have people read out of their own Bibles. In classes, take turns going around reading the Bible. At home, read aloud. It’s a good practice. Get to know the book. Get familiar with it. The more comfortable we are with it, the more we will use it and be helped by it. Have a regular reading plan for going through the Bible.

You can’t know God apart from the Bible. You can’t know about His will apart from the Bible. The Bible is the bridge to God. We must know the book, love the book, keep the book and obey the book.

The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone whose life is not falling apart.

Get reading…

Roger