Becoming a Bible People

1 Peter 1:10–12 ESV

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

1 John 5:13 ESV

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

and in the next verse … this gives us confidence … knowing gives confidence … not knowing makes us feel like we are riding an ever-changing wave

Matthew 7:24–29 ESV

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

What is true? - in accordance with fact or reality

1a(1) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality. (2) : the state of being the case : fact. (3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality. - Merriam-Webster

that’s what I do … I drink and I know things - GoT

that’s what I do … I drink coffee, hate people & I know things

that’s what I do … I am a nurse & I know things

Today … knowing things feels accomplished … because so much is “unknown” … it's fluid … we can see it, watch it, and then someone tells us we just misunderstood … that wasn’t who it looked like, it was actors … sure you saw that but it was staged … this outcome was voted on but that was faked or stolen … the experts said, but they are in the pocket of …

We long for things, people, sources of truth …

there has been lots of talk over the last several years about mental health … we are disconnecting people from truth … gender, politics, education, and truth have become fluid, and transitory … our teenagers/students are bearing the brunt of it

As this has become increasingly evident to me … I wanted us to hear, read, and know scripture … I want us to have a place to build upon … to stand when the waves, wind, and rains come … you will always be able to find someone who will tell you what you want to hear … there is profit in it … you will always be able to find someone who will question what you want to be questioned… there is control in it

I know that the single best thing I can do is root you in the Word of God …

I don’t want you to miss a story from the Bible or worse, miss the message of the Bible

Knowing what the Bible says & understanding the message of the Bible is the most life-defining, paradigm-shifting, direction setting things U can engage in

Every misunderstanding people have about God comes from a misunderstanding or misapplication of what the Bible says

Today we’re going to talk really practically about studying the Bible

At the outset, I want to give U 3 reasons why this is so important for U:

#1 - You won’t know who God is without knowing what the Bible says

Most people’s misunderstandings of God come b/c of something they’ve believed about God, but have no root in the Bible

That’s why we teach the word of God here at Journey - b/c we want your faith to grow - many Christians are anemic in their faith b/c they don’t hear God’s word -

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12)

When a Christian doesn’t know God’s Word, they are stunted in their faith, simply b/c they don’t know what God is capable of doing U might be in a place of discouragement or doubt & the reason is, U haven’t read the stories & been taught who God is as revealed in God’s Word

#2 - You will miss God’s will for your life if you don’t know the Bible

When it comes to God’s will, most of the stuff that we pray about & wonder what God wants us to do is stuff that the Bible has already told us

God’s will U don’t even have to pray about this stuff b/c God has already shared what His thoughts are on the subject

If you’re thinking, “Should I pay taxes this yr?” God’s already spoken “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matt. 22:21)

What about sex before we’re married? He’s got something to say “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” (Hebrews 13:4) “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

Let’s be honest, what happens at times is we know what God has said already, but we’re hoping God will override something for us “I know I said U shouldn’t have sex before U get married, but the 2 of U seem to really like each other, so go get it on. I’m totally OK w/ it.” It’s not going to happen - God is always going to speak in a way that’s consistent w/ the Bible

If we spend time in God’s Word, most of our questions will be answered -

Sam & God’s will … where should I live, what job should I have, who should I marry … money, sex, words, attitudes, greed … it’s already solved … He has told us how to live

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself … let’s do that

#3 - You will not understand the story of God without knowing the Bible

We are living in the story of God

- it’s not your story, it’s not my story

Here’s how most people view life - they are the star of the movie, a few people are co-stars & the rest of us are just extras living in their story

I’m sorry to be 1 to tell U this, but that’s not true - the universe is not about U

The Bible is the story of God - His plan, His mission, His love

He is the star & we are the extras

- God is so good that He allows us to participate w/ Him in the story

But life only makes sense when U realize that life is not all about U & that it’s all about God - It’s a great day when U come to that realization

This passage in 1 Peter that we’re going to look at is so important b/c Peter is going to talk to us about understanding God's story & God’s Word

For those of U who don’t know, we started this series 2 weeks ago called, “Becoming” - b/c there’s a person we all want to become

But most of us aren’t sure how to get from here to there

And Peter is showing us how to take steps on the road from here to there & become who God wants us to become But today we’re going to learn how to be fluent in the Bible

To truly understand the story of the Bible & how our lives are intertwined in it

This is so important b/c if U miss this - nothing in your life is going to make sense - U will have all of the parts, but you’ll be missing the story behind it

And it’s the story - the story that God has been telling throughout the ages & how we fit into that story that causes our lives to make sense...

How do I get started on knowing the Bible? 1 Peter gives us a plan

-----(v. 10)-----

1 Peter 1:10 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,”

#1 - Learn the Prophecies of the Old Testament

The prophets of the OT were trying to figure out the prophecies they wrote about - they wanted to see the things they wrote about fulfilled

Do U know why people were holding palm branches on Palm Sunday?

“This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) We use it to say every day is a gift from God, but it’s not the point – But Psalm 118 is Messianic – It refers to the day Messiah comes

People laid palm branches as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey & they quoted v. 26 of Ps. 118

“Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9)

There are 300 OT prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah that are fulfilled in the New Testament

U know what happens when U learn the prophecies of the OT? U learn that God is always on time - He’s never late, He’s never early - He’s on time

How much of our questions of God are because we doubt His timing

Singles end up marrying people they regret later – why? B/c they couldn’t accept the fact that God has His own timeframe

They couldn’t let go of their timeframe, & so God’s clock must not be working

It’s why people get into major debt – U charge stuff on credit cards b/c U don’t have the patience to wait for God to provide in His timeframe

But U learn about how God showed up amazingly in these prophecies & U will want to wait on God b/c His way is better than anything U could do

-----(v. 11)-----

1 Peter 1:11 “inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.”

#2 - Study the Life of Jesus

What is the Bible? - stories, heroes, villains, bunch of rules, God trying to control me

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth - wrong

God’s Rule Book - wrong

A lot of people think of the Bible is moral teaching sprinkled w/ stories to illustrate the teachings - that’s not the case

The Bible is a single story —> the key to understanding the Bible is learning to see Jesus

U can’t understand the Bible w/o seeing Jesus in the text

When Jesus was walking w/ the men on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection - He gave them an OT lesson about the Messiah

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27)

As U read the Bible, here’s what U find - it might follow someone’s story or a little while, but then it stops - why? B/c the Bible isn’t written to give us every detail of people’s lives It’s written to get us to Jesus - The Bible tells us about creation, the fall of man, & the flood, to get us to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people The story of Abe’s family get to Joseph & they move to Egypt - that’s Genesis When Exodus begins, they aren’t a family anymore, they’re a nation & 400 years have passed & they are now slaves in Egypt Why skip all that? B/c the point of the Bible isn’t to give us every detail

It’s to show us how Israel left Egypt & got to the Promised Land

That’s the 1st 5 books of Bible - then Israel wants a king - why tell us that? B/c God wants us to get to David who receives the promise that 1 of his descendants will be the Messiah (2 Sam. 7)

Then we learn about Israel rebelling against God & being removed from the land as Babylon takes them away - why?

B/c after this, Israel would never again be a completely sovereign nation, which leads us to Rome conquering them

And Israel under the rule of Rome is the world in which Jesus was born So everything from Jesus to the Gospels is getting us to Jesus, the fulfillment of the promise that God would send a savior

John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,”

Missing Jesus in the Bible is missing the Bible -

The Bible is about God sending a Savior to save mankind & everything in the Bible is pointing in that direction

The Bible has a lot to say about marriage, but U won’t understand it if U don’t understand that the book is about Jesus

The Bible has a lot to say about worry & trusting God, but U won’t understand it if U don’t understand the message of the Bible

The Bible has a lot to say about work & your career, but U won’t understand it if U don’t understand the message of the Bible

The Bible is about God - it’s His story of redeeming us & saving us

He is the hero of the story - once we understand that, that’s when everything else comes into focus...

-----(v. 12)-----

1 Peter 1:12 ESV

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

#3 - Understand the Depth of the Gospel

Some think that the Gospel is just about Jesus dying for U so U can go to heaven - that is the Gospel,

but that’s just the beginning of the Gospel

The Gospel is holistic - it impacts every area of your life

So let’s break this down a little & put some skin on this

Let me give u some areas of life where the Gospel impacts us

#1 - Your Marriage -

Do U want a great marriage?

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

Marriage isn’t a new believer topic - it’s a mature topic & Paul says that the key to a happy marriage to mirror the Gospel in your marriage

#2 - Your Money -

No 1 wants to be greedy - but how do we keep from becoming totally self-absorbed & only caring for ourselves? Mirror the Gospel

2 Corinthians 8:7-9 “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

Paul tells them, “If U want to excel in generosity, look at the Gospel. Jesus was rich & became poor so U could become rich in spiritual things” The gospel is the litmus test & the model for how generosity works

#3 - Your Work

- When U understand the Gospel, U learn that your work, no matter what U do, is working unto the Lord

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

So when we work, no matter who our boss is, we’re actually working for God

#4 - Your Identity

But here’s the other thing - the Gospel - the death & resurrection of Jesus shows me that in Christ I’m accepted by God

I’m not my marriage, or my money or my work …

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The reason U can rest, sleep at night, and find peace b/c you are working for your boss, for the money or for marriage, or for yourself

That could be why you’re so tired - you’ve been looking for your identity, worth & value in places where they can’t be found - you are looking for truth in things that change … that move and shift and God wants you to find yourself, find your identity, purpose & peace in Him alone

Sometimes we look for our worth in relationships & when the relationship ends, it’s like the world is ending

b/c the thing that validated us is no longer there

Listen: If nothing in this world can bring U the satisfaction & fulfillment you’re looking for, then maybe it’s b/c U were created for another world

We’re not just physical creatures - we’re spiritual beings who have physical bodies & that’s why the physical can never completely satisfy

That’s why the stuff we desire isn’t really the stuff - it’s the significance behind it

People don’t really want the car - they want what the car represents - freedom, youth, power & control

People don’t really want the big house - they want what the house represents - Security, success, accomplishment, stature & prestige

People don’t really want the gadgets - they want what the gadget represents Being relevant, being important, & being wanted

We desire the things, but what we don’t realize is that we really desire the spiritual substance behind the things - that’s why the things don’t satisfy Those desires were only meant to stir up in us a desire for another place A place that’s found in a Person - That’s where fulfillment is found I want to give U an opportunity to find rest in Him...

So here’s what I know - Some of U are here & you’re tired

There’s a life that you’re living & there’s no rest, no fulfillment, no peace U wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to sleep & then wake up & do it all over again

And there’s this thought in the back of your mind that sometimes creeps to the front - U ask, “Is there more to life than this?”

U watch movies about people living adventures lives -

U run into people who look happy & U wonder, “Why isn’t this my story?”

Listen - it’s b/c U haven’t entered into God’s story - U haven’t given up control & allowed God to forgive U, save U & transform your life

Everything we’ve talked about today is for U to know that there’s a God in heaven who loves U & wants to set U free of all that’s holding U back

Jesus died for U & He rose from the dead & He’s offering U life

Not existence - not simply breathing - He’s offering U life - real life

U might be here & you’re a Christian, but you’ve walked away from the Lord God’s inviting U to be part of the story - It’s your moment to come back to Him

U might be here & you’ve never opened your heart to God

You’ve never invited Him to come into your life to forgive U of all your sins

•You’ve wondered “Where is God?” - He’s right here, right now & He’s calling U & inviting U to come back to Him

•He wants to give U new life eternally starting right now

•Jesus didn’t wait for U to do something - He did something

•He came to earth, He hung on a cross - He paid the price - He died for U

•Now it’s your move - will U respond to His offer of forgiveness & life?

•Now it’s time for U to accept His gift b/c He has already done all the work, taken all the steps … will you transfer your trust into his chair