The Wonder of Scripture

The Wonder of Scripture

INTRODUCTION

The Bible is the best-selling book in history with over 500 billion copies. In fact so much of it has been given away, the number is even higher than that. The Bible has 31202 verses. The longest chapter is , the shortest is . and The longest name in the Bible is Maher-shalal-hashbaz.

Scientists stated 12 years ago that they could put all the Bible on a nano chip the size of a pen and called it the Nano Bible. Right now if you have a Bible app on your phone you probably don’t just have 1 version you could have 20. It’s easy because the Bible is only 2 megabytes.

Perhaps you have a regular schedule of devotion. There are so many systems for reading the Bible. In my own journey. I regularly failed at reading the Bible in a year. I found that it took me 3.

In the Assemblies of God, our first doctrine is about the Scriptures. Here is what it says:

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative, rule of faith and conduct

As believers, we easily recognize On this first Sunday of 2018, the importance of reading and studying it. My goal today is not to just encourage you to read the Bible or feel guilty for not having read it. I believe the Scripture has a value that goes beyond doctrines and data.

There is a wonder in Scripture. What we have in God’s word is valuable.

PRAYER

O, LORD, Thank you for the privilege of having your words in front of us. Today as we think about it, open our hearts to your words and speak by the power of your Spirit.

We’re looking at 2 Peter Chapter 1.

1. God has provided the Scriptures for victorious living (Verses 1- 11)

Peter was writing to Christians scattered all over the known world and He was encouraging Him about the resources that were already theirs

a. They had their confession.

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Because we belong to Jesus with have equal standing because God has taken His righteousness and placed it on us. Hallelujah.

b. They also had the ability to grow in their understanding of God through the Scriptures.

We find in the gospels that with reference to the Scriptures, Jesus either was critical of the Sadducees and Pharisees not understanding, or appealing to the words of the prophets being fulfilled and….

Peter here emphasizes how important our knowledge of God’s word is.

  May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

This mention of knowledge is the first of 5 times in this chapter. And all 5 times are from verse 2 to verse 8.

  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

And it it here in verse 4 we discover where that knowledge comes from!!!!!

4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8

These high ethics are not in isolation. Knowledge follows virtue and LEADS to self-control! They are the outgrowth of spending time in His word. Through the precious promises we can make those righteous decisions.

Kenneth Osbeck stated that the Bible is the only book whose author is PRESENT while you read it!

In fact it was the James the brother of our Lord who said: If any one lacks wisdom let Him ask of God and He will give it.

We have the wisdom of God in this book.

Notice the victory that is available for the believer!

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He then provides the contrast……..

9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Victory!

2. Scripture reminds us God’s  truth is for a lifetime.  Verses 12-15

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

It’s true, were your 9 or 99, these are great and precious promises. More about Jesus let me learn, more of His holy will discern, spirit of God my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me!

And here we see the intentionality of the aging apostle I intend to ALWAYS to REMIND

even though they are established in the truth.

in v. 13 “I think it is RIGHT as long as I am in this body…TO STIR YOU UP BY WAY OF REMINDER.

even in light of the end of his life and beyond….(after my departure…you may be able to recall these things….

WHY?

The apostle Paul told Timothy……

And how from childhood you have known the Scriptures (kjv) which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews declared:

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

Come with me to a Judean road outside of Jerusalem en route to Emmaus.

3. The story of Scripture is actual history verses 16-18

Notice the eye witness testimony of Peter. where he uses the phrase “we” 5 times from verses 16-18.

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

The Orthodox Study Bible says:

It is not an elaborate scheme of fables, such as the Gnostics propounded. In all the Gospel accounts, the Transfiguration is a proof and foretaste of the coming of Christ in glory.

Scripture not only provides a History of Redemption but stands as the promise of our Future!

4. The truthfulness of Scripture calls for our commitment to its message 19-21

Peter does not rely on his grand experience with Jesus as the only confirmation of truth, but understands the work of the Spirit in the Old Testament and the New…

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.