Good morning and welcome to the Berean Break.  My name is George Sinkie and I am so glad that you have joined us this morning.  Do you have your Bible handy?  You need to so that you can check out what is taught here to make sure that it is truth.  As we begin this morning, let's go to God in prayer

Almighty God in heaven.  We thank You for this day and the many blessings that You have given to us.  As we open our Bibles together this morning, Lord also help us to open our hearts.  We also thank You now for Jesus and it's through His name that we come to You now.  AMEN!!

     Not long after the church of Christ began, two of her preachers were headed up into the Temple to teach those who gathered for the hour of prayer.  As they were going past the gate of the Temple called Beautiful they encountered a lame man begging for alms.  I want us to read together what they say to this man in Acts 3.  Read with me Acts 3:6

   6 But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you:  In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!"

The thing that they gave to this lame man, that was worth more that silver and gold was not just the miracle of healing his lameness, but as we see later on in this account it is the sharing of the will of God; the miracle was given to confirm the truth of what was said.
     David wrote in Psalm 119:72

   72 The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

     Yes, God's word is more valuable than gold and silver.  But, what is it about the Bible that makes it so valuable?  Let's consider why the word of God is valuable today.

     First, the Bible is of tremendous value because it solves man greatest questions.  Consider the question, "Where have we come from."  Many men have spent countless hours, dollars and great amount of energy to discover the answer to this simple question.  It is simple because the answer is revealed to us in the first pages of the word of God.  Consider Genesis 1:26-27

   26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;  and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
   27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;  male and female He created them.

Oh, I know.  Some men would have you believe that man is a product of the process of evolution, that you are just highly evolved slime from some primeval slime pit.  They say this and then they mourn and are confused when man acts like slime.  The Bible gives us the true answer that we are from God and calls us to a higher level of living.

     Another great question answered by the Bible is "Why am I here?"  It is apparent that the aim of many in life is to accumulate as many material possessions as possible.  It is the aim of many in life to gather as much wealth as possible.  But God's word goes deeper and truer;  read with me Luke 12:15

   15 And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed;  for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

     In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon searches for the meaning and purpose of life in many ways and at the end of this book he draws his conclusion, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

   13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
   14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

When we fear God and keep His commandments, then we will bring glory to God.  Paul wrote of this in 1 Corinthians 10:31

   31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The Bible is valuable to know where we are from and why we are here, but that is not it's only value.

     The Bible provides man with the answer to the question, "Where am I going."  The Hebrews writer shows that we all have an appointment with death.  In Hebrews 9:27, it says,

   27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment

But physical death is not the end of man's existence.  In describing the end of life on this earth.  Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:7,

   7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

We will all one day be judged according to the things we have done.  We already saw this from Ecclesiastes 12:14, but we can also read it in 2 Corinthians 5:10

   10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

     Every individual who has ever lived will spend eternity somewhere.  The majority will spend eternity in a place of everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, as we read in Matthew 25:41

   41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;'"

The righteous will spend eternity with God, as He says in Matthew 25:46

   46 "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

     A second reason the Bible is of great value is because it has a powerful influence over men's souls.  The gospel of Christ is exceedingly powerful.  Paul wrote about this power in Romans 1:16

   16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

And also in 1 Corinthians 1:18

   18 For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

The Hebrews writer also spoke of its power in Hebrews 4:12

   12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

     The power of God's word is evident in the fact that it is able to save man.  Paul wrote of this in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

   1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
   2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

     Truly the word of God is valuable because of the influence it can have in our lives if we will let it.

     Third, God's word is valuable because it serves to guide us in our relationships.  Every year thousands and thousands of people spend millions of dollars on self-help books.  Often times they are looking for help with their relationships.  But ironically, most of these people already own the best self help book that was written – the Bible, of course.  It is a best-seller and it is probably the least-read best-seller of all times.  The Bible has guidance for our relationships as children, such as Ephesians 6:1-3

   1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
   2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),
   3 that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

     The Bible also guides the youth in such verses as Ecclesiastes 12:1

   1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"

     Husbands and wives are instructed, as in Colossians 3:18-19

   18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
   19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them.

     As masters and slaves, as citizens and rulers, as rich and poor, God speaks to all, plus young men, old men, young women and old women.  God's word is valuable because it deals with all these relationships.  But it is valuable to us only if we follow it's teaching.

     A fourth value of God's word is seen in the fact that it can sustain us in times of trouble.  When we are sorrowful, God's word can give us comfort.  Such as in the passing of loved ones, read with me 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

   13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.
   14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
   15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
   16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
   17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
   18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

     When we are discouraged, God's word can give us encouragement.  Listen to what Paul writes in Galatians 6:9

   9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

     When we are in despair, God's word is able to give us hope.  Hebrews 6:19

   19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil

     Silver and gold I very little of, but I still have an exceedingly great treasure because have the word of God – the Bible.  We have looked at four things that make the Bible valuable.  It answers man's greatest questions.  It has a powerful influence over men's souls.  It serves to guide us in our relationships.  And it sustains us in time of trouble.