II Timothy 3:16-17 - “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, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

What do “they” tell you about the Bible? That it is a love letter from God? That it’s just an ancient document, outdated and irrelevant? That it’s a history of what God did before He went away and left us to make our own way through the world? Ah, but what does the Bible say for itself? In various ways, and on many pages, there are statements of its origin, purpose and value. This one says that the Bible came from God - the same God who “created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). It says that it’s profitable for doctrine - so we know what ought to be taught; that it’s profitable for reproof - it shows us the difference between what we ought to be and what we are; that it’s profitable for correction - it shows us precisely how to fix our deviation from right; and that it’s profitable for instruction in righteousness - it shows us how to stay right after we get right. Men have many opinions about the origin, purpose and value of the Bible, but when those opinions differ from the Bible’s own statements each of us has to make a choice: will I believe and follow an unsubstantiated opinion, or will I believe and follow the Book which by “many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3) has been proven profitable?

II Timothy 4:1-4 - "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

You have heard that “familiarity breeds contempt.” It is usually applied to human relations, but isn’t it true also of words? We grow weary of news stories that seem to linger for days. We’re bored with cliches that are so over-used that we don’t take them seriously. Isn’t the same true of some passages of scripture? Not that they are over-used, but that they become under-appreciated due to familiarity. If you had never seen or heard the first four verses of II Timothy 4, what impression would you get from first reading? Wouldn’t it be that a preacher is supposed to preach the doctrine that was preached by the apostles of Jesus - that he is supposed to preach that doctrine everywhere under all circumstances - that he is supposed to preach it regardless what others think about it, or how they respond to it? Timothy was forewarned that a time was coming that people would not listen to sound doctrine. What do you require of the preaching where you worship?