back to indexWednesday Bible Study (BCC 2 - Class 4) 10-12-16
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We're gonna jump right into our Bible study today. 00:00:22.800 |
and connecting the dots of what we've been studying. 00:00:26.440 |
We've been studying about having a high view of God, right? 00:00:34.200 |
the character traits, you know, the aspect of who God is. 00:00:40.660 |
we've been just studying an accurate view of God. 00:00:43.840 |
We've been seeing, we've been trying to see him as he is. 00:00:50.480 |
our personal lives and our corporate lives as well, okay? 00:00:56.720 |
is essentially to see him in an accurate way. 00:01:02.480 |
to emphasize what we're gonna be talking about today. 00:01:05.520 |
Because in order to have an accurate view of God, 00:01:13.620 |
We have to have an accurate understanding of the scriptures. 00:01:24.520 |
Now, there is just a basic question of how we ought to view, 00:01:34.400 |
But I hope that today would be an evaluation very deeply 00:02:02.700 |
humanistically speaking, we have a collection of writing 00:02:11.040 |
And so the unbelieving world sees the scriptures 00:02:17.080 |
Yes, people revere it, but it's just writing. 00:02:20.480 |
We might call it perhaps a collection of quotes. 00:02:23.280 |
We might call it perhaps a collection of moral teaching, 00:02:29.760 |
we see the scriptures in an entirely different light, right? 00:02:34.040 |
Through faith, we see the reality that what we have 00:02:40.160 |
What we have is not simply a collection of tradition. 00:02:51.080 |
And by faith, what we're saying is this is the voice 00:02:54.220 |
of the God we've been trying to see more accurately. 00:03:03.080 |
How do we view and treat the sacred scriptures, 00:03:09.480 |
And for your blank there, as an introductory way of saying, 00:03:34.680 |
Whatever the relational term there is between you 00:03:39.560 |
of your relationship directly with God himself. 00:03:43.560 |
And so today, again, we're gonna be diving deep 00:03:45.700 |
into how we are to then relate to the scriptures. 00:03:49.560 |
Let's take a moment to pray as we jump into this study. 00:04:09.340 |
you would continue just to do your work of conviction. 00:04:15.140 |
to have such a deep-rooted devotion to go to your truth, 00:04:19.820 |
to desire, to regularly take of what you have to teach us. 00:04:25.700 |
who perhaps are tired tonight after a long days of work 00:04:36.420 |
Okay, the route that we're gonna take tonight 00:04:46.540 |
And the way we're gonna take is take major stories 00:04:49.600 |
from the Old Testament and different parts of scripture 00:04:54.420 |
First, turn your Bibles over to Jeremiah chapter 23, 00:04:59.820 |
Okay, Jeremiah chapter 23, verse 28 through 32. 00:05:03.940 |
As you turn there, I'm gonna set the stage a bit here. 00:05:09.220 |
And the time is the reign of Josiah, okay, Josiah. 00:05:26.740 |
is there were assassinations of the kings before him. 00:05:29.580 |
So, Josiah actually began to rule at age eight. 00:05:37.020 |
Eight years old and he was beginning to rule. 00:05:39.380 |
Josiah had a lengthy reign, over 30 years, okay. 00:05:49.020 |
that was to come and speak was Jeremiah, okay. 00:05:57.100 |
the landscape was dismal because there was so much 00:06:02.100 |
neglect of the word of God and there was so much idolatry 00:06:08.100 |
of just simply going astray from worship of God. 00:06:12.300 |
And to that kind of context, Jeremiah's coming in 00:06:16.820 |
So, let me read from verse 28 down to verse 32 00:06:21.500 |
Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, 00:06:24.700 |
but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. 00:06:28.700 |
What has straw in common with wheat, declares the Lord, 00:06:36.180 |
and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. 00:06:40.160 |
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, 00:06:42.260 |
declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. 00:06:45.100 |
Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, 00:06:47.580 |
who use their tongues and declare, declares the Lord. 00:06:51.140 |
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, 00:07:06.180 |
So, here's a specific segment in which Jeremiah 00:07:10.260 |
is rebuking, right, the tone is clearly very rebuking, 00:07:14.420 |
but he's rebuking the people because they're speaking 00:07:19.820 |
There is a twisting, there is false teaching, 00:07:25.220 |
and to this generation, Jeremiah is telling them 00:07:28.780 |
that they need to turn around from this kind of falsehood 00:07:35.660 |
So, specifically speaking, when he's rebuking them, 00:07:42.480 |
as to what they are doing, and it is verse 29 00:07:45.180 |
when he says, "Is not my word like fire and like a hammer?" 00:07:56.120 |
They fail to understand the intensity of God's word. 00:07:59.220 |
They fail to understand the power of God's word. 00:08:03.340 |
And so, that's gonna be our first point for us. 00:08:06.220 |
It's a simple point, that the word of the Lord is powerful. 00:08:10.140 |
The blank there, the word of the Lord is powerful. 00:08:14.720 |
Now, what I'm gonna do for you really quickly here 00:08:18.420 |
is I could go on and on about different case examples 00:08:33.800 |
that point to how powerful the word of God is, okay? 00:08:42.400 |
the word of the Lord is eternal, okay, eternal. 00:08:46.600 |
Scripture says, both in the New and Old Testament, 00:08:49.400 |
in Matthew 24, it says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, 00:08:54.900 |
Okay, number two, the word of God is powerful to create. 00:09:00.800 |
I don't have to even reference the passages there, 00:09:03.220 |
but with powerful words, God spoke into existence 00:09:17.880 |
Next, God's word is powerful to transform, transform. 00:09:26.740 |
"For you have been born, not of perishable seed, 00:09:37.700 |
Number four, God's word is powerful to judge. 00:09:41.640 |
He is the one who declares and calls things as it is, 00:09:47.480 |
and his word declares things either righteous 00:09:59.840 |
Scripture teaches us that God's word never goes out 00:10:03.580 |
and then returns void, but rather, it says here 00:10:15.720 |
Number six, the word of God is powerful to equip. 00:10:31.340 |
so that we'd be equipped for every good work. 00:10:33.580 |
So, we just went through kind of what you call 00:12:56.940 |
is it challenges my concept in terms of degrees. 00:13:16.980 |
of God's word being sure, perfect and powerful, 00:13:24.460 |
to what degree do you believe God's word to be powerful? 00:13:42.420 |
A little illustration to highlight that is this. 00:13:46.900 |
Back when I was playing basketball in high school, 00:13:52.300 |
I played basketball in high school, believe it or not. 00:14:12.620 |
I thought I was huge 'cause I had an early growth spurt. 00:14:31.340 |
and then he did the thing where he threw his shoulder. 00:14:36.700 |
Like I didn't see anything in my world except just him. 00:14:39.660 |
I grabbed the ball and I kinda bumped him with my hip 00:14:51.260 |
And then, you know, like the guy who I was wrestling, 00:14:58.580 |
and then I hear the coach like right in my ear. 00:15:14.180 |
There are my teammates yelling, stop, stop, stop. 00:15:32.620 |
the voice of somebody who is an authoritative figure 00:15:36.500 |
But the thing about it is we have to ask ourselves, 00:15:40.020 |
to what degree does God's word demand my attention? 00:15:45.020 |
Because that degree is going to be indicative 00:15:48.700 |
of how much I believe that voice is powerful. 00:15:54.200 |
Does it demand that kind of attention from you 00:16:12.540 |
There's the voice of the culture and the generation 00:16:17.100 |
They're telling you what they wanna see in you. 00:16:22.980 |
to what degree does God's voice have power in your life? 00:16:34.300 |
my main point there is God's word is powerful. 00:16:39.420 |
And it demands that kind of attention in our lives. 00:16:43.740 |
But the second point is gonna be that God also demands 00:16:50.020 |
Can we please all go over to Deuteronomy chapter 28, 00:16:58.500 |
I wanna give you a little bit of context here too. 00:17:13.620 |
as one of these extra important books of the Bible 00:17:17.420 |
that gives you a focus of what God expects from the nation. 00:17:26.260 |
and not trusting God to go into the promised land. 00:17:35.740 |
losing almost an entire generation of people. 00:17:38.460 |
And then they go through a lot of ups and downs, 00:18:16.220 |
And chapter 28 is a pivotal one in that type of teaching. 00:18:39.060 |
"and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God." 00:18:42.900 |
And then he goes down on a laundry list of blessings. 00:19:04.500 |
"to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes 00:19:08.740 |
"that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. 00:19:16.820 |
"Curse shall your basket and your kneading bowl. 00:19:23.700 |
"the increase of your herd and the young of your flock." 00:19:27.720 |
And the curses are incredibly sobering, right? 00:19:36.480 |
His emphasis is there is a huge, huge ramification 00:19:43.680 |
that you heed and be careful to do all that I say. 00:19:48.200 |
And your success is going to be entirely dependent 00:19:53.120 |
And should you not obey, the consequences are real, right? 00:19:58.920 |
And what's more, not only was God making sure 00:20:05.300 |
that before the nation went into the land of Canaan 00:20:11.600 |
he made sure that before the nation actually started 00:20:13.720 |
to conquer other nations and follow a new leader, 00:20:24.640 |
"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, 00:20:47.600 |
God commands us to hear and obey his voice carefully. 00:21:00.120 |
and then you might do what he says carefully. 00:21:02.520 |
That's what he said throughout the book of Deuteronomy. 00:21:06.000 |
That's what he said throughout the rest of the books 00:21:21.400 |
to read, read, read, memorize, memorize, memorize. 00:21:30.360 |
But basically it's a box that you put right here. 00:21:34.360 |
And then they have little basically placards in there 00:21:36.720 |
with certain references so that they could take it out. 00:21:42.840 |
And they had these bands, these leather bands 00:21:47.560 |
and they'd wrap their arm, it would look like a warrior 00:21:49.760 |
but what it was really was the word of the Lord. 00:21:52.480 |
And do you remember in Deuteronomy chapter six 00:22:01.080 |
"and you shall write them on your doorposts." 00:22:34.240 |
what are we capable of putting our time into, 00:22:47.800 |
That's my emphasis here as I think about this passage 00:22:55.000 |
He wanted it to be absolutely saturating their lives 00:22:59.280 |
into their minds, that it would be physically right here, 00:23:08.680 |
On the tips of their tongue, that it would be where? 00:23:10.560 |
Hidden in your heart, that it would be where? 00:23:15.480 |
That's the degree to which he wanted his people 00:23:21.540 |
Now, we ask this question, is it the same expectation 00:23:31.160 |
I'm gonna read it to you guys, you don't have to turn there. 00:23:46.620 |
"in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity until I come. 00:23:50.120 |
"Devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, 00:23:56.020 |
What did Apostle Paul commission young Timothy to do? 00:24:16.200 |
verse one through five, this one you should turn to, 00:24:19.400 |
Second Timothy chapter four, verses one through five. 00:24:31.920 |
again, in the context of so many generations, 00:24:38.080 |
there is such a huge tide in opposition to the word of God. 00:24:46.880 |
"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, 00:24:57.360 |
"Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, 00:25:00.860 |
"reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience 00:25:10.840 |
"they will accumulate for themselves teachers 00:25:14.680 |
"and will turn away from listening to the truth 00:25:22.840 |
"endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, 00:25:31.800 |
every single one of us, take upon that challenge. 00:25:35.480 |
I know Apostle Paul is speaking specifically to Timothy, 00:26:00.120 |
and that we need to continue to abide in the truth of God. 00:26:24.520 |
That the sinful tendency of generations of Christians, 00:26:29.720 |
has been to neglect and then to reject the word of God. 00:26:34.720 |
The whole idea was that God expected and commanded us 00:26:38.860 |
to carefully remember, to constantly rehearse 00:27:14.360 |
in a time when the word of God was absolutely neglected. 00:27:21.400 |
Josiah, as a young ruler, there was all these, 00:27:29.400 |
And then essentially Josiah commands one of his assistants, 00:27:43.280 |
man, my previous generations are so shameful. 00:27:46.320 |
They're fighting for power and they're killing each other. 00:27:49.200 |
But I remember King David and his reverence for the Lord. 00:27:57.000 |
King Josiah calls for this book to be found and read. 00:28:00.200 |
And once it is read, King Josiah rips his clothes 00:28:03.400 |
and he says, oh my goodness, the wrath of God is on us. 00:28:13.400 |
For generations, we completely neglected his truth. 00:28:17.040 |
For us, I don't know if we regularly have a habit 00:28:42.100 |
Because if we don't, you know what's gonna happen? 00:28:56.380 |
There's 911 for emergencies and then there's 811. 00:29:01.140 |
Is any time you wanna check a building code, you call 811. 00:29:08.900 |
It's a free hotline so you can just check code. 00:29:17.140 |
And I think that's interesting that the government 00:29:19.420 |
has all this code and then says check it first. 00:29:28.220 |
inspection will come, code enforcement will come 00:29:34.620 |
And right now we're in the building project over there. 00:29:36.800 |
There's all this architectural stuff going on. 00:29:55.700 |
A lot of times we're motivated by what's effective, 00:30:12.540 |
because I've mentioned this in previous sermons 00:30:25.140 |
There is this subtle neglect of the truth of God 00:30:28.220 |
thinking that our problems are beyond the scriptures 00:30:35.840 |
There's almost this like, kind of subtle thought 00:30:39.620 |
that like, oh, I know there's Bible counseling 00:30:57.240 |
it's kind of like, yes, yes, I know we have the Bible, 00:31:07.720 |
goes to everything outside of the scriptures, 00:31:11.840 |
or you never actually turn to the word of God, 00:31:17.440 |
Because remember what I said at the very beginning, 00:31:26.420 |
We believe, according to the scriptures itself, 00:31:40.320 |
that the word of God is both necessary and sufficient. 00:31:55.880 |
This happens in all these kind of different realms, 00:31:59.800 |
and that's gonna be one of your discussion questions. 00:32:02.480 |
In what other realms, and how do we sometimes 00:32:17.440 |
gonna be honest, we have to first ask the question, 00:32:21.520 |
not so much like, how do we get the most people in here? 00:32:36.040 |
So whether it comes down to the idea of discipleship, 00:32:39.800 |
whether it comes down to the idea of ministry, 00:32:50.120 |
I know other people might be thinking this is silly. 00:32:56.200 |
this is one of these blind faith kind of exercises. 00:32:59.480 |
No, I believe this is a trust issue between us and God, 00:33:09.220 |
We believe that the word of God is not simply foundational. 00:33:18.660 |
The word of God is both necessary and sufficient. 00:33:22.540 |
To teach us this truth, please turn your Bibles over to, 00:33:31.560 |
and then we're gonna turn to Deuteronomy chapter eight. 00:33:33.700 |
So you can start turning over to Deuteronomy chapter eight. 00:33:36.660 |
And as you do that, I'm gonna tell you a story, okay? 00:33:53.180 |
It's one of the beautiful songs from scripture 00:33:56.060 |
where Moses is praising God, like, you delivered us. 00:34:01.020 |
You're so mighty to save, and your love endures forever, 00:34:04.340 |
and you delivered us from the bondage of Egypt. 00:34:13.020 |
They're grumbling, and they're griping and complaining, 00:34:25.940 |
It says, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel 00:34:28.460 |
grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 00:34:32.380 |
oh, would that we have died by the Lord's hand 00:34:39.660 |
when we ate bread to the full, did they really? 00:34:44.420 |
For you have brought us out into this wilderness 00:34:46.420 |
to kill us and this whole assembly with hunger. 00:34:56.060 |
how, you know, how lacking in faith a nation is. 00:35:02.820 |
behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. 00:35:20.660 |
The story goes, only the amount of bread that fell, 00:35:33.060 |
And then on Saturday, or that sixth day of the week, 00:35:36.740 |
because on the Sabbath day you're not gonna work, okay? 00:35:39.260 |
So the whole idea is they're only allowed to collect. 00:35:43.340 |
They get big old jars and like, oh my gosh, it's free! 00:35:47.980 |
And they start dumping all their stuff into their jars 00:36:00.460 |
To only take what was enough for that one day. 00:36:13.880 |
Wouldn't it have been more efficient, on the other hand, 00:36:16.140 |
for God to make that bread last a whole 40 years? 00:36:22.160 |
He could've made that bread magically be preserved 00:36:27.020 |
He could've made that bread, as soon as you eat it, 00:36:28.740 |
just goes bloop, and it comes back into a whole loaf. 00:36:31.660 |
I mean, our imagination is the limit to that. 00:36:39.900 |
Well, if you look at chapter eight of Deuteronomy, 00:36:42.820 |
Deuteronomy chapter eight, verse one through six. 00:36:45.320 |
The whole commandment that I command you today, 00:37:20.780 |
which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, 00:37:23.620 |
that he might make you know that man does not live 00:37:36.900 |
Know that in your heart, that as a man disciplines his son, 00:37:41.940 |
So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God 00:37:48.240 |
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, 00:37:51.100 |
a land of brooks and water, of fountains and springs 00:38:01.260 |
a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, 00:38:25.580 |
to the word of God because that's what God demands 00:38:29.300 |
and because that is what's going to be to your blessing, 00:38:45.740 |
for our sustenance, provision, and well-being. 00:38:53.780 |
giving us his truth that we may eat of his truth 00:38:56.780 |
and that that truth will continue to fill our lives. 00:39:01.000 |
So us obeying and listening to the word of God 00:39:23.800 |
we've been talking a lot about how we do discipleship 00:40:01.260 |
when you want it so bad that you can learn truth 00:40:12.420 |
When your heart is eager for the truth of God, 00:40:17.480 |
And that's really how we want to do discipleship 00:40:20.780 |
is that you will be attached to the truth of the Lord 00:40:34.300 |
this next couple points I want to just go through this again, 00:40:38.220 |
poof, poof, poof, poof, rapid machine fire kind of points, 00:40:41.620 |
that the word of God is absolutely necessary and sufficient. 00:40:46.060 |
Okay, that the word of God is absolutely necessary 00:40:58.380 |
the word of God is absolutely necessary, okay? 00:41:06.060 |
one, two, three, four, five, like eight points, 00:41:07.540 |
but I just want to pause for a moment here, okay? 00:41:10.540 |
The word of God is absolutely necessary for salvation. 00:41:15.600 |
And in this day and age, there are so many people 00:41:34.040 |
I write these things to you so that you may know 00:41:40.200 |
And when I preach the gospel so that someone will be saved, 00:41:43.520 |
I can't just tell them, hey, come follow me to church. 00:41:49.640 |
The truth, the life-giving truth of the gospel. 00:41:56.680 |
therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness 00:42:12.000 |
how do I grow in faith, so the word is faith, 00:42:18.880 |
In Romans chapter 10, it talks about this whole idea, 00:42:21.280 |
it's like, how will they know unless they hear, 00:42:28.000 |
faith comes by the hearing of the word of God. 00:42:36.360 |
understand that Jesus Christ himself said this, 00:42:39.760 |
sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. 00:42:43.880 |
When the scriptures talks about Jesus' ministry to us, 00:42:48.840 |
where it talks about Christ's love as a husband, 00:42:55.720 |
He says he washes her of water with the word. 00:43:03.840 |
the means by which he is washing of all that is impure. 00:43:12.040 |
if you want to be trained, you know what scripture says? 00:43:15.920 |
In 2 Timothy chapter three, verse 16 through 17, 00:43:57.880 |
at our expenditure that we can just use, right? 00:44:06.280 |
I was just talking to a student on Friday at college. 00:44:09.200 |
I mean, these students are between the age of 18 and 22. 00:44:17.440 |
They're at the very beginning of getting academic training, 00:44:22.720 |
You'd be surprised how many people want to quit. 00:44:39.600 |
But you know very well that once you start working, 00:44:44.240 |
And then every successive stage of your life, 00:44:56.160 |
it's hard for you to cope with the kind of stress, 00:45:06.080 |
If you just say, oh, don't worry, there are better days. 00:45:13.280 |
I'm like, man, for secular people to accuse us 00:45:34.120 |
if you have hope in you, in your self-improvement, 00:45:37.160 |
and you simply going through the notches of life, 00:45:54.600 |
What's more, you guys remember the passage in Psalm? 00:46:08.980 |
"and on his law he met his taste day and night. 00:46:11.360 |
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water 00:46:23.440 |
This generation is seeking for that, they want that. 00:46:31.360 |
I wanna feel be capable, I wanna feel like I can be used, 00:46:54.920 |
We want blessings, we have to abide in the word of God. 00:47:08.360 |
Should we desire better discretion and wisdom? 00:47:21.900 |
I tried to pick things that basically encompass 00:47:26.480 |
whether it comes to acts of wisdom and decision making, 00:47:29.840 |
whether it comes to your emotions of feeling fruitful, 00:47:37.400 |
whether it comes to you having assurance of salvation 00:47:39.880 |
and the beginning stages of your Christian life, 00:47:48.560 |
The word of God is absolutely sufficient for you. 00:48:16.540 |
I believe it's powerful, yes, but to the degree 00:48:30.140 |
over to John chapter eight, verse 31 through 47. 00:49:21.100 |
And then I'm gonna read the rest of the story. 00:49:29.060 |
"How is it that you say you will become free? 00:49:34.780 |
"everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 00:49:39.100 |
"The slave does not remain in the house forever, 00:49:42.180 |
"So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 00:49:54.860 |
"and you do what you have heard from your father. 00:50:10.060 |
"a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. 00:50:31.220 |
"I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 00:50:37.400 |
"It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 00:50:43.680 |
"and you will do, your will is to do your father's desire. 00:50:53.760 |
"When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, 00:50:58.680 |
"But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 00:51:04.200 |
"If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?" 00:51:29.060 |
it says the word defines who you are as a Christian. 00:51:40.680 |
who is truly regenerate and truly a disciple of Christ, 00:51:49.400 |
is going to be the word of God implanted into their lives. 00:51:57.120 |
and their reception of that truth into their lives. 00:52:07.280 |
and then when we are confronted with the truth, 00:52:15.360 |
Even if the scripture says, "Thus says the Lord." 00:52:33.440 |
so defined that we would be a people of his truth. 00:52:38.280 |
Because only then can we have an accurate view of God, 00:52:41.640 |
and only when we have an accurate view of God 00:52:47.640 |
which is true worship in spirit and in truth. 00:53:12.200 |
We realize, God, we've been endowed with so much. 00:53:15.560 |
We remember in history, Lord, that there were generations, 00:53:19.960 |
hundreds of years where there was a famine of your word. 00:53:26.800 |
even if people wanted to read, they'd have to go searching. 00:53:39.480 |
that rather than leaving us to our own devices, 00:53:54.200 |
would have such a deep devotion and commitment 00:53:58.320 |
to carefully observe, to remember, and retain 00:54:20.320 |
We thank you, Lord, it's in Christ's name, amen.