5.1.36 8.1.2021 2 Kings 22.8-13, Hebrews 4.12-13 Revelation=God's Word

My Hope is built on Nothing Less…Sound Doctrine in a Distracted Age

Series Overview: We need good filters

• The mesmerizing variety of media, the accelerating velocity of incoming information, and the increasing density of data require that every Christian follow this little bit of sage advice from the past:

Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see,

Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.

2

Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear,

Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear.

3

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say,

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

4

Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do,

Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.

5

Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go,

Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.

There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.

• This is not just a matter of consumption but of choosing the right kinds of filters. The right kind of evaluation for what we see, hear, say, think, do.

Theology is the discipline historically used by the Church to properly calibrate our filters. and in the 21c we have some issues..

• We don't like big words.

• We don't like unwieldy ideas.

• We don't like to seem way smarter or way dumber than anyone else.

• Our age can be characterized as a culture that believes it is very smart and has great information but which is actually ignorant at a historic and epic level.

We need to think deeper.

We need to ask harder questions.

We need to evaluate information critically.

We need to filter more carefully

We need to live more intentionally.

During the next 5 weeks, we are going to do a quick Theological dive. We are going to do a little filter calibrating. We will examine the following theological

categories:

Revelation=God's Word.

Resurrection=God's Victory.

Regeneration=God's Work.

Responsibility=God's Expectation.

Rule=God's Kingdom.

• This is not everything you need to know as a Christian. This is a starting point. This is a beginning. These messages comprise a minimal starting place for understanding our mutual faith.

Start

Entice: Because the Bible is central we begin with it. Sometimes God's people just lose track of the Bible.

This happened in the OT here is an example...

2 Kings 22:8–13 ESV

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

We need to properly locate ourselves, within this text to benefit from it.

• In the OT Israel/Judah were God's people. In the NT—the Church is God's people.

• So the question is not whether the broader, non-Christian culture needs to rediscover the Bible and experience revival and revitalization, rather the question is the Church's rediscovery of commitment and obedient submission to Scripture.

Why would I be concerned with the culture, nation, or the world obediently submitting to Scripture when the Church scarcely does?

We would like to think that this sort of thing would never happen to us. But through misapplication, willful misreading, or plain neglect it does.

Engage: The Bible is God's Word. In it He reveals Himself. In it, He reveals our fallen nature. In it, He reveals His plan for saving us from our sin. In It He reveals the

information we need to live a righteous life.

• Revival in the Church has historically been linked to "rediscovering" the authoritative message of Scripture.

Expand: The Bible is God-centered. It is theological. It discusses the nature and destiny of man. It does not answer every piddling question we have and it does not pretend to address our endless curiosity. We are not told things we might wish to know (what is the deal with the platypus? How does my wife know when…?) And we are constantly reminded of our central need.

Excite: The heart of the Bible is God's saving plan in Jesus. In the Bible, God gives

specific information for a specific purpose.

Explore:

God's Word reveals His saving heart.

Explain: Consider these affirmations about the Word.

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

12 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. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God's Word is Active & Living.

God's Word is Sharp & Penetrating.

God's Word is Patient & Discerning

God's Word is Persistent & Clarifying.

Shut Down:

• My concluding plea is simple. Church; as much as it hurts and as hard as it can be to hear, we need the living, penetrating, discerning, and clarifying Word of God

• We need to remember our fallenness, enjoy our salvation, calibrate our behavior, and celebrate our God. All of that is only possible because God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures.

• If you want to know what He wants you to know. Read. Understand. Seek.