Not In The Bible Part 5

“Believing in Jesus is all it takes to get to heaven.”

It is true that when we hold onto the promises of the Bible, we have eternal life in our hands.

More is required.

One can enter heaven just by believing in Jesus like the thief on the cross.

But his situation was special. It was a one moment experience, what about those who believe and still have many moments?

These individuals must continue to believe and act upon their belief.

One can’t simply believe and say to themselves, alright that's it, that is all I have to do.

This kind of thinking restricts our spiritual growth and doesn’t let us become who God intends for us to be.

This is why in , God’s people are described as helping others as well as searching for the messiah.

“Be In The World, But Not Of The World.”

This verse doesn’t appear in the Bible at all. A possible reference is

World.”

John 17:11 ESV

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Though this phrase can be helpful for the church.

The phrase implies that we must be in the community of society, while at the same time keeping our distance from society, so that we may affect society and those around us, but we must not be changed by what society teaches us.

What are some ways we can impact society and our local community while not having our ideals change?

Is it possible for our ideals to be changed as we interact with our local community?

We Would Be Uncomfortable In A Biblical Worship service

Dance

2 Samuel 6:14 ESV

14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.

Psalm 149:3 ESV

3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

Drums (percussion)

2 Samuel 6:5 ESV

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

Loud Sounds

Psalm 95:2 ESV

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Ezra 3:11 ESV

11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Strange Stories In The Bible

Matthew 21:18–19 ESV

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

Jesus condemns a fig tree. But Why?

2 parts

Those who have faith will have power connected to prayer.

If you don’t produce fruit, you too will wither and be no more.

2 Samuel 6:5–7 ESV

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

Genesis 15:9–21 ESV

9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

How do you deal with these stories/verses?

1 Samuel 15:3 ESV

3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”