Books, Books, BOOK
The Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes lamented as he closed his investigation of all the things done under the sun, Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh (Eccl. 12:12). His investigation of life by wisdom began and ended with, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Eccl. 1:2; 12:8). The apostle John’s investigation of Jesus the only Son from the father (John 1:14; 20;31) concluded with the exultation, Were every thing that Jesus did to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (John 21:25). John began his search saying, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (1:17) and ended saying, believing you may have life in his name (20:31). When I studied Ecclesiastes a few months ago, I concluded with the wish that this searcher for truth under the sun would have been able to see the Son. I pray the same for searchers today.
In our Wednesday Bible Study we are half way through Jack Lewis’ book, Basic Beliefs, written in the last stages of the life of that humble scholar. I was drawn to his concluding remark about books and the Book. “Almost every religious revival that has taken place in the history of the church ... has been sparked by a return to the basic fundamentals of God’s word. We must never lose sight of the fact that the power behind significant religious change is the living, active word of God (Heb 4:12). Not dynamic preachers, not charismatic leaders, not cleverly written books, not new evangelistic gimmicks, not community changing service projects. The power in the word of God resets wandering priorities, puts to death consumer-driven passions, and recalibrates our values to God’s eternal standards (p. 227).”
In the Book of Acts, Luke says that the newly created community of believers added together by God, devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:41-42). The church in its infancy was shaped and formed by the teachings of Jesus’ apostles. So, in the declining and dying church today, don’t throw away good books like Lewis’ Basic Beliefs. Do be devoted to the BOOK.
—Tom Yoakum