Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Review last week – Experience God’s Love and Grace means turning from our sin, receiving God’s gift of Jesus Christ and His rescue, and walking with Him every day and each moment by the power of His Holy Spirit transforming us.

Who brought paper copy bibles?

Electronic copy?

Pew bible?

Wait for me to put passages on the screen?

Do you make it an intentional habit to set time aside most days to read the bible?

Study the bible?

Why?

What if you didn’t have the bible in a language you understood?

Stack of Indonesian Bibles.

picture of Seth.

Why is the bible so precious?

We say the bible is God’s Word.

Why? Words of life.

Is it possible to be too focused on the bible?

Is it possible to lift the bible too high?

To put it on a pedestal?

Let’s put the bible in proper perspective and right understanding.

Core Value 2 – We value the Bible as God’s authoritative Word, study it together, and build our lives on its truth.

God’s Authoritative Word

God’s Authoritative Word

Revelation

Making known the mysteries

Jesus – the Logos, the Word, active in creation, spoke everything into existence,

Jesus – the Logos, the Word, active in creation, spoke everything into existence,

All of Scripture points to Jesus

point to Jesus

Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.

Authority

Rule of life ?

Paul tells Timothy the value and authority of God’s Word

.

Paul tells Timothy the value and authority of God’s Word

** How to get into the Kingdom, how to remain in the Kingdom, how to live as part of the Kingdom =

Scripture is authoritative only because of the authority of the One who inspired Scripture.

The book itself is not the authority.

Inspiration

Source of message

– we were eyewitnesses to what we are telling you, prophecy of Scripture comes by God’s Spirit, not man’s will.

we were eyewitnesses to what we are telling you, prophecy of Scripture comes by God’s Spirit, not man’s will.

carried along = led to, guided into

God spoke through prophets in the past, in last days by His Son.

God spoke through prophets in the past, in last days by His Son.

living and active

living and active

Do we try to find some individual meaning or inspiration in the words of the bible that were not meant to be there?

Bible trivia.

Rolling the bible dice.

Pull out the Scripture Sticker and paste it over some random or not-so-random situation.

Be careful to stick to context of individual verses or passages and hold true to the intended meaning.

Study the Bible Together

Example of the people of Berea searched the Scriptures to make sure what Paul was teaching was accurate.

the people of Berea searched the Scriptures to make sure what Paul was teaching was accurate.

Example of Hebrews - encourage each other and continue to gather

encourage each other and continue to gather

Example of the early church gathered together to hear the teaching

,

Example of Paul’s message to the Colossian church - teach admonish

gathered together to hear the teaching

teach admonish

Several thoughts here – study together, interpret together.

Not only taught one man’s interpretation, and not open to any individual’s whim and desire.

All together discovering God’s truth and its application.

Build Our Lives On the Truth

Parable of the firm foundation,

Parable of the firm foundation, build on the solid Rock.

Hear the words of Jesus and does them.

build on the solid Rock.

Hear the words of Jesus and does them.

Does this mean all we do is focused on adhering to the rules and commands?

Or does it mean Jesus is our foundation and using the written word to point us to the living Word.

hear and keep

hear and keep

hear AND do

hear AND do

lamp and light, keep from falling and gives direction.

Study

lamp and light, keep from falling and gives direction.

Study

Conclusion

We hold up this book we call the Bible as the top authority and want to force others to follow it.

We lift up this book and want to force it back into schools and the government.

We politicize the Bible.

Without Jesus, without God’s Spirit, the Bible is a book.

A book that doesn’t make much sense.

Is hard to figure out.

We follow Jesus, we carry the Living Word with us wherever we go.

People will see Jesus and be drawn to Him more quickly by observing your life than be having a book thrown at them.

Do we then neglect the written word?

Absolutely not.

But let’s keep it in proper perspective.

Big Idea: We believe God’s written word which guides us to His Living Word.

Big Idea: We believe God’s written word which guides us to His Living Word.

What About You?

Do you believe the Bible?

Do you believe the Bible is God’s written word?

Revelation, authority, and inspiration

Are you thankful to have this precious gift in your language?

Do you obey/follow the Bible as a rule book or as the guide that points you to the Living Word?

Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your reading, studying, understanding, and application or living out of God’s Word.

Don’t neglect studying God’s Word together.