The BIBLE (Yes, that's the book for me.)

Foundations of Faith

Review:

There are some things that should be present in every single life of a Christian. These things are so foundational, that without them it is impossible to live the “best life” that God has created for you. Some of these topics are so basic that you all have probably heard 10 sermons about them. What we wanted to do was to go a bit deeper than maybe we have gone in the past.

Two weeks ago Pastor Adam talked about two very important practices that should be a part of every Christian’s life. He talked about Solitude and Sabbath. Jesus is the perfect example that we as Christians should try to follow. He would often separate from the disciples and get to a place where He could be alone so that He could pray.

He was very busy and yet He felt it was important to get away and alone and spend time with His Father. It’s wild to think about. He could have done anything with His time, including heal people, take a nap, do some awesome miracle…and yet…He slipped away from the crowd and spent time in solitude.

The other important practice that Pastor Adam mentioned was the Sabbath. Taking a Sabbath is being intentional to set aside a time to rest and spend with God. It’s a time to recharge and reset our priorities and routine. It’s a time to let God have control of our day and our thoughts. In our life these days, there is a lot of busyness and chaos. Our lives overflow, but so do our thoughts. A Sabbath allows us to disconnect from the expectations of the world, and connect to the ONE who made the world and us.

Tonight, we are going to be talking about another practice that should be present in every Christian's life.

VALUING AND READING THE BIBLE

We’re going to read a couple of verses and talk about some helpful truths about the Bible and then next week we will dig a little deeper into how to practically read, study, and apply the Bible In our daily lives.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

2 Timothy 3:14–17 (NLT): 14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

The person speaking is Paul. He is writing to Timothy…that’s why the book is named after Timothy. Paul and Timothy had what was compared to a father-son relationship. Paul was trying to help Timothy live the best life he possibly could. Right before these verses, he warned Timothy about the messed up people in a messed up world and wanted him to be smart and not be fooled and manipulated by their ways.

He tells Timothy that God’s Word can be trusted and that it will teach what is true and right.

The Bible is Trustworthy

Paul had full trust in the Bible because He knew it was inspired by God.

The Bible is God-breathed

What does it mean to be “inspired by God?” The Bible was originally written in different languages than what we read today. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in both Aramaic and Greek. So there are some words and sayings that might not translate exactly the way that people would understand them in the original language.

The Greek word used for “inspired by God” literally means God-breathed. “Inspired by God” isn’t a bad translation, but “God-breathed” gives a more dynamic picture I think of what the Bible is and how it was given to us.

Why do we call it God’s Word?

“…all Scripture is God-breathed. It originated in God’s mind and was communicated from God’s mouth by God’s breath or Spirit. It is therefore rightly termed ‘the Word of God’, for God spoke it. Indeed, as the prophets used to say, ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken it’.”

Another important truth about the Bible to keep in mind is...

God not only breathed life into the Scripture, but He also used people to do it.

2 Peter 1:20-21

“2 Peter 1:20–21 (NLT): 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

So when you read the Bible you have to keep in mind that the Bible is from God and the words in the Bible are important.

They communicate life and salvation. They lead us to Jesus and show us how to be the person God created us to be.

(don’t need to read this out loud) God used people to write the Bible.

On the other side of it, we also need to remember that God used people to write the Bible. So in different books, (parts of the Bible) you will see different personalities and different themes. You will see how God communicated His message to different people in different contexts.

God communicated His message to different people in different contexts.

That’s an important thing to remember.…there are different contexts…different audiences…during a different time…with a different perspective than what we have today. So you need to keep all of that in mind as you read the Bible.

Context Matters

A seashore is a better place than the street because you need lots of room. At first it is better to run than to walk. You may have to try several times. It takes some skill, but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Birds seldom get too close. If there are no snags it can be very peaceful. But if it breaks loose, you won't get another chance.

Without any context to frame the sentences, this paragraph doesn't make any sense. Now let me read it again, but this time let me provide some context—a one-word frame or interpretive key. The one word is kite. Now see if it makes sense:

A seashore is a better place than the street because you need lots of room. At first it is better to run than to walk. You may have to try several times. It takes some skill, but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Birds seldom get too close. If there are no snags it can be very peaceful. But if it breaks loose, you won't get another chance.

The context helps the paragraph make sense. In the same way, when it comes to the Bible, once you have the context or the framework, all of the details start to fall into place.

When you read the Bible you can be confident that it is forever relevant because it is God-breathed, but it is also written out by human hands and perspectives.

So to dig a little deeper, you will want to find out more about the person behind the pen, find out more about the context of the people who first read the words, and find out more about the culture of the time the words were written.

There are also times in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, where history is literally being written. A passage in the Bible that is retelling what happened, does not necessarily mean that God wanted it all to happen exactly as it did. People have free will and make their own choices. God is able to work in spite of their dumb decisions, but a retelling of a “man of God’s” poor decision isn’t God’s permission for us to do the same. (David as an example)

Pharoah’s hardened heart

There’s a phrase in the Old Testament along the lines of God hardening Pharoah’s heart. Basically, the ruler of Egypt was being a real jerk and persecuting God’s people. God tells Moses to confront Pharaoh and then it casually mentions that God hardens Pharaoh’s heart. As a present-day reader who is not familiar with the culture of the day, we might think that God was causing Pharoah to act the way he did. It would seem unfair to us. However, in that culture, it was a familiar idea that God would “harden” a heart by allowing the person with the hard heart to continue in their hardness. In other words, God gave free will to decide instead of forcing Pharaoh’s hand.

You can see how understanding the culture and digging a little deeper will help to understand the Bible better and understand God’s heart a little better too.

Why should you actually want to read the Bible?

Bible reading may sound like a chore. You may feel like it is outdated or boring. However,

The more time you spend with the Bible, the more you will come to know it’s life-changing power.

It becomes like an old friend that brings you comfort and clarity in your life. There is no limit to the wisdom you will find in the pages of the Bible.

I like using an actual book Bible because it is just easier for me to see my notes and there’s something about handwritten, marked-up Bible pages. I love the smell of the leather and holding it in my hands…

But even a phone bible…or as Adam call it a “PHIBLE” is powerful. It still contains the Word of God. And God’s Word is powerful. Even a bible that you listen to instead of read is helpful and powerful. Whatever works for you, I encourage you to take time to get into the Word of God.

The Bible will encourage you and correct you.

Finally, I want to end with this.

(Use Bible to re-read 2 Timothy 3:14–17 “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” )

Paul told his spiritual son, Timothy, that the Bible will encourage him, equip him, and correct him.

The Bible will encourage you with exactly what you need if you give it a place in your life. You will find strength and most importantly, you will come to know Jesus better the more time you spend in the Bible.

That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? It is wonderful. You know what else is wonderful? The Bible will correct you. That may not sound “wonderful” at first,

but when you realize why the Bible corrects you, you will understand that it is an act of love for God to correct you through His Word.

If you are choosing to live in a way that doesn’t line up with the standard of the Bible, then you are not living your best life.

“BEST LIFE” is a phrase used often these days, but a biblical life takes the term “best life” to another level.

It takes it to the level of you actually living out what you are created to be and do. You will find fulfillment and peace. You will find healing and forgiveness. If you’ve messed up, you don’t have to be afraid to read the Bible because a

correction from the Bible doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you, it actually means the opposite. He doesn’t want you to keep suffering and living your less than “best life.” He wants you to thrive and to be everything you were created to be.

A Christian cannot live their “best life” without the help of the Bible

To be continued…