The Lord's Prayer,[1] known also as the Our Father or Pater noster,
is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity. On Easter Sunday 2007 it was estimated that 2 billion Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Christians read, recited, or sang the short prayer in hundreds of languages in houses of worship of all shapes and sizes.[2] Although many theological differences and various modes and manners of worship divide Christians, according to Fuller Seminary professor Clayton Schmit "there is a sense of solidarity in knowing that Christians around the globe are praying together…, and these words always unite us."[2]
The context of the prayer in Matthew is as part of a discourse attacking people who pray simply for the purpose of being seen to pray. Matthew describes Jesus as instructing people to pray after the manner of this prayer. Taking into account the prayer's structure, flow of subject matter and emphases, many interpret the Lord's Prayer as a guideline on how to pray rather than something to be learned and repeated by rote. Some disagree, suggesting that the prayer was intended as a specific prayer to be used. The New Testament reports Jesus and the disciples praying on several occasions; but as it never describes them actually using this prayer, it is uncertain how important it was originally viewed as being.
Our Father, which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
in earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil:
[For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.] Amen
And what do each line say?
“Our Father” It sounds so normal that we can just float over it without thinking about it. But Jesus asks us to call God our father. Which would make us his sons and daughters. He wants us to see ourselves this way and not to doubt this. We are sons and daughters of God. This is our identity. This is the beginning.
And God is our father. He loves us and welcomes us into His family.
We are brother and sisters. We come from the same spiritual father. We should love each other as family.
“who art in Heaven” God is in heaven and we are on earth, so we should let our words be few. We should respect God for the holiness that he is.
“Hallowed be thy Name.” It is not just a statement saying that God’s name is holy it is also a hope and desire that God’s name be made holy. Why is this important? I have had enough conversations with people to realize that God and Christ’s name is anything but perfect and holy in most of the world. We push political agendas, put focus on the wrong things, try to keep people outh
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in Heaven.”
I have a tendency to separate this line. But it is showing a desire to have God’s kingdom come to Earth. For the will of God to be done here.
How does this change our outlook on how to live here on Earth?
Some people think “why bother with Earth? It is a lost cause. It is all going to be destroyed anyway.” But that is not the way that Jesus asks us to think. That is not the way He thinks. His desire followed by his actions were and are for the kingdom of heaven to come sweeping through earth. Like a little bit of yeast that goes through the whole batch is the kingdom. Jesus planted the seed and now in this day it is growing into a great tree that will cover the whole earth.
Do we recycle? To we care about the Earth that God entrusted us with? I know I fall short in this area way too much. Do we treat the Earth as we would heaven? Would we smog up heaven’s air or throw trash on heaven’s place?
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
I always seem to pray this prayer at night and this line seems kind of silly in it’s current form, so sometimes I will change it to a thank you for giving us our daily bread.
I love how this is not a “give me” prayer. It is a “give us” prayer. It lumps our own needs in with those of all of God’s other children.
It is also the other side of a promise. God promises to take care of us. And we are coming to him to remind ourselves that He provides. And He will continue to do so even when we can’t see how.
And I think it is even a reminder for us to be the giver of the daily bread to those who need it.
“And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us.”
Forgiveness is not a one way street according to this prayer. Part of being forgiven is to forgive. We cannot be hypocritical about this. Jesus says it in another way too when He says that by the same measure we use we will also be measured.
If we forgive other because of Jesus’ blood on the cross, than we are using this as our measure. We are not to be hypocritical about it.
If we want to be forgiven by His blood, then He asks us to forgive through His blood.
If we forgave the way that we wanted to be forgiven what kind of a world would we live in? What about wars? What about the long running hate between different ethnic groups?
“And lead us not into temptation;” We are asking God not to lead us into places where we will be more prone to sin and fall away from Him. If we ask God this than we should not seek out those places ourselves. If we know that we are tempted every time we go to a bar or are alone with a boy/girlfriend, or read certain books, etc… than we should not do them. We may receive a certain level of temptation in lots of situations. Even Jesus was put into temptation in the desert. The temptation itself is not a sin. But we should not seek out temptation.
“But deliver us from evil:”
God is not sitting with his hands tied behind His back. He is not powerless against evil. He delivered Israel many times. He had delivered me. He is like the mailman; He delivers us. He has power. He can and will change things.. when we come to Him.
“[For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.]”
God rocks!!
“Amen”
Believe that!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Life Boat
Lifeboat
What happens in the lifeboat is that we are comparing ourselves to others based on what the majority of people feel. Does this feel at all familiar in your own lives?
In school, and in all of life, we all try to have as many people as we can approve of us, agree with us, respect us, and love us. And this makes us feel like we have value and worth.
I don’t know about you but I find myself comparing myself to other people all the time whether I want to or not; it is almost like we are born into it. Like I need to look to something outside myself to validate my worth.
And it becomes even more difficult because the standard of what is important is constantly changing. What was cool to wear when I was in middle school is definitely not cool to wear now. Can you remember jams?
Is the standard we use to compare ourselves to others fair or accurate?
Lots of people who were considered the least valuable or geeks in school grow up to be some of the most important people when they are adults. They can be intelligent or nice or funny or a good listener or loving and be completely overlooked by almost everyone.
And it doesn’t get any better when we grow up. This doesn’t end in College. We just use different standards to judge with and are a little bit more subtle about it when we are adults. People still want to make the most money, have the biggest homes, the prettiest families, or the nicest cars. And we are still in the lifeboat fighting over position and for other people to love and respect us.
But God didn’t intend for us to live this way. His boat is big enough for everyone. And in God’s system you don’t loose value by being nice to people that are considered not valuable in society. In fact He says that whatever you do for the lowest people, you do for Him.
God says this because God created those people in His own image. And to God they have just as much value as our presidents, and celebrities, and all the “important people” in the world. You have just as much value as the “important people” to God.
One of the things I love most about Jesus is that he never puts limits on who we should love. He makes it very simple and clear. Love everyone and love God. Love the popular people, love the nerds, geeks and weird people, love the quiet people, love the annoying people. And the amazing thing about it is when we give people a chance, and get past all the hurt and rejection that is stored up in unpopular people;( because unpopular people are used to and probably expect to be hurt and rejected) we usually find out that that person has some great qualities to them and that they also are real people with a real need to be loved, listened to, to have someone “for” them, and to be paid attention to. (ß a review of our last four talks) And sometimes we are the annoying person or the weird person and that we need someone to love us despite all of our shortcomings.
Questions
1)How do you feel after you win a sports game or board game?
And after you lose?
2)What do we actually win when we beat our friends at monopoly or basketball or soccer?
3) Why does it affect us so much?
4) Do you feel more valuable when you are right about something or when someone else agrees with you or approves of what you are doing?
5) How do you react when you are disrespected in some way (someone cuts in front of you in line, tells you you are bad at something, or insults you)?
Why does it hurt or get us mad? What do we really lose?
6) Do you often measure yourself by the same standard other people measure you by? (Wonder what other people think about your nose or hair or build, how many laughs you get at a joke, or smiles in the hallway, or how many compliments we get on a new outfit)
7) Do we validate/ give worth mostly to people who give worth to us?
8) Why would it hurt us to be nice to someone who doesn’t like us? Or is socially awkward?
9) Do we have more to gain when someone loves us or when they don’t love us?
What happens in the lifeboat is that we are comparing ourselves to others based on what the majority of people feel. Does this feel at all familiar in your own lives?
In school, and in all of life, we all try to have as many people as we can approve of us, agree with us, respect us, and love us. And this makes us feel like we have value and worth.
I don’t know about you but I find myself comparing myself to other people all the time whether I want to or not; it is almost like we are born into it. Like I need to look to something outside myself to validate my worth.
And it becomes even more difficult because the standard of what is important is constantly changing. What was cool to wear when I was in middle school is definitely not cool to wear now. Can you remember jams?
Is the standard we use to compare ourselves to others fair or accurate?
Lots of people who were considered the least valuable or geeks in school grow up to be some of the most important people when they are adults. They can be intelligent or nice or funny or a good listener or loving and be completely overlooked by almost everyone.
And it doesn’t get any better when we grow up. This doesn’t end in College. We just use different standards to judge with and are a little bit more subtle about it when we are adults. People still want to make the most money, have the biggest homes, the prettiest families, or the nicest cars. And we are still in the lifeboat fighting over position and for other people to love and respect us.
But God didn’t intend for us to live this way. His boat is big enough for everyone. And in God’s system you don’t loose value by being nice to people that are considered not valuable in society. In fact He says that whatever you do for the lowest people, you do for Him.
God says this because God created those people in His own image. And to God they have just as much value as our presidents, and celebrities, and all the “important people” in the world. You have just as much value as the “important people” to God.
One of the things I love most about Jesus is that he never puts limits on who we should love. He makes it very simple and clear. Love everyone and love God. Love the popular people, love the nerds, geeks and weird people, love the quiet people, love the annoying people. And the amazing thing about it is when we give people a chance, and get past all the hurt and rejection that is stored up in unpopular people;( because unpopular people are used to and probably expect to be hurt and rejected) we usually find out that that person has some great qualities to them and that they also are real people with a real need to be loved, listened to, to have someone “for” them, and to be paid attention to. (ß a review of our last four talks) And sometimes we are the annoying person or the weird person and that we need someone to love us despite all of our shortcomings.
Questions
1)How do you feel after you win a sports game or board game?
And after you lose?
2)What do we actually win when we beat our friends at monopoly or basketball or soccer?
3) Why does it affect us so much?
4) Do you feel more valuable when you are right about something or when someone else agrees with you or approves of what you are doing?
5) How do you react when you are disrespected in some way (someone cuts in front of you in line, tells you you are bad at something, or insults you)?
Why does it hurt or get us mad? What do we really lose?
6) Do you often measure yourself by the same standard other people measure you by? (Wonder what other people think about your nose or hair or build, how many laughs you get at a joke, or smiles in the hallway, or how many compliments we get on a new outfit)
7) Do we validate/ give worth mostly to people who give worth to us?
8) Why would it hurt us to be nice to someone who doesn’t like us? Or is socially awkward?
9) Do we have more to gain when someone loves us or when they don’t love us?
More Ready 1
Evangelism as Dance
What do you think of when you hear the word evangelism?
Answers I received//
Missions, door to door. Street corner crazies, yelling and screaming, pat Robertson, conservative, tv evangelism, politics, preaching, radical, over the top, actively trying to tell other people about God, separate from other parts of the church, recognizing a need to have a relationship with God, added modern meaning, christianeese,
Why is there so much more bad imagery then good?
For Bruce: Television and televangelist and high pressure and money and scandal and big hair and then my favorite, one guys said pinky rings. What surprised me was that almost every one of their responses was negative. So much so that I asked, “Can anyone give me one positive image of evangelism?” And somebody said, “Billy Graham.” Yeah! We got one.
“On the street, evangelism is equated with pressure. It means selling God as if God were vinyl siding, replacement windows, or a mortgage refinancing service. It means shoving your ideas down someone’s throat, threatening him with hell if he does not capitulate to your logic or scripture quoting. It means excluding everyone from God’s grace except those who agree with the evangelizer. “
It’s tragic because the word evangelism is a good word. It comes from the Greek word evangel, which means “good news.” Evangelism is the process by which we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to others. Evangelism is bringing the message of hope to a hopeless, hurting world. Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The good news or the gospel as we call it, is that God loves us more than we can ever imagine and wants to enjoy a personal relationship with us and wants us to enjoy a day to day friendship with him.
McLaren introduces this concept in his introduction when he writes, “If you know anything about Jesus at all, you probably know that he was an amazing conversationalist. Unlike the typical evangelist-caricature of our day, Jesus was short on sermons, long on conversations, short on answers, long on questions, short on abstractions and propositions, long on stories and parables, short on telling you what to think, long on challenging you to think for yourself, short on condemning the irreligious, long on confronting the religious.”
“This is the kind of evangelism we’re going to explore in this book, evangelism in the style of Jesus. Evangelism that flows like a dance and begins with something beyond yourself. Think of a song that comes to you somehow from somewhere. At first you may catch a note here, a phrase there, and it may sound strange. But once you really hear it, once you pick it up, once it finds its way into your soul and begins to play there, it feels so familiar, so natural, that you wonder if you have made it up yourself. Yet the song’s splendor and grandeur and mystery convince you that its origin lies beyond your own imagination. You find yourself humming the song, tapping your finger to it, whistling it … and you wonder ‘Where did this come from? Who wrote this song? How did it get into my head?’”
“Over time, your whole life begins to harmonize to the song. Its rhythm awakens you. Its tempo moves you, so you resonate with its tone and flow with its melody. The lyric gradually convinces you that the entire world was meant to share in this song with its message, its joy, its dance. If more people heard the music, their hatred would give way to reconciliation. Their greed would melt into generosity. Their grumbling would transform into gratitude. Their mourning would be turned to dancing. People would stop polluting and start planting gardens, if they lived by the song. They would stop fighting and start playing hilarious practical jokes on each other, throwing joyous picnics and parties, playing raucous games, dreaming wild dreams, and enjoying a good laugh every chance they got.”
“Anyone who hears the song – truly hears it – must dance. And all dancers seek to share their joy.
Evangelism is all about relationships. It’s not about arguments or having all the answers. It’s about genuinely loving and caring for people and getting close enough to them so they can see Christ in you, the hope of glory, so they can sing the song.
One of my favorite evangelism stories in the New Testament has to do with a reject named Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector, which in Jesus day was like being connected to the mob. He was a Jewish man who had sold his soul to the Romans and was employed by them to collect as much money from his countrymen as he could. And once he satisfied the tax obligations set by the Romans he could extort all the extra money he could get and keep it for himself. He was a licensed thief. And he was hated for it. Then he met Jesus.
And Jesus shared the song with him. And Matthew heard it and he embraced it and it filled his soul in a way that money could not and immediately changed his life. So he wanted to share the song with his friends who were other tax collectors and “sinners” and mobsters just like him.
His first thought was, “Maybe I can take them to church.” But “church” in his day meant going to the Temple or to the synagogue and listening to a robed rabbi read long, rambling sections of the Old Testament law. Not the best idea, at least not for the crowd that Matthew ran with.
But then he had another idea. He’d throw party. He was good at parties and his buddies loved to party. But this one would be different. He’d still put out a spread of food with plenty to eat and lots to drink and crank up the music, but he’d also invite Jesus and a few of his followers to show up and to rub shoulders with his crowd. And maybe some conversations would take place and some relationships would be birthed out of that. Maybe some of his friends would hear the song.
And sure enough, Jesus showed up at the party along with his disciples and they had a great time. But apparently they were having too good of a time because Jesus came under fire from the religious types who were looking through the window.
Listen to how Matthew records the evening in his gospel. Matthew 9:10-13 says, While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:9-13
Mark 2: 13-17 He was eating and spending time with “sinners.” We all are sinners. We just deem certain types of sins as worse and the people who live that way to be worse than us. It is a type of pride. Gets close to them.
Luke 5:27-30
After shooting down some stale and offensive ideas of what evangelism has become in the 21st century. McLaren challenges us to think of it this way, “What if there really is a great and good and kind God, and we humans really are God’s creatures, though we lose our way sometimes? And what if our deepest dream is really true, that the God who really exists really loves us? And what if one of the best ways for God to get through to those of us who have lost our way is by the kindness and influence of those others who have been brought back to a good path? And what if for every obvious and sleazy religious huckster there are in fact a dozen subtle but sincere examples of spiritual authenticity and vibrancy whose influences would do the rest of us a lot of good? What if there really are “angels” out there -- not of the wings-and-halos type, but of the flesh-and-blood, laughter-and-tears type -- people who are literally sent by God to intervene, to help those of us who have mucked up our lives, to give us a taste of grace, a “rumor of glory,” as songwriter Bruce Cockburn says?”
“And what if you and I, who begin as wandering and confused people, could be so helped by our caring God-sent and love-filled friends that we could join them as messengers of grace, carriers of good news, secret-agent angels, case studies in God’s power to change, enrich, fill, and rescue lives that were being wasted, ruined, self-sabotaged? What if evangelism is one of the things that our world needs most?”
Are you ready for the adventure? Are ready to dance? I think you are. In fact, I think you’re more ready than you realize.
Where are some places that we can bring the music?
How does this fit together with Proverbs 24:1 and Psalm 1:1?
Proverbs 24
Do not look to the other side and say the grass is greener. And get rid of the “nice guys finish last” attitude.
Do not desire the company of wicked men.
This is different from Jesus hanging out at a party with Matthew.
Desiring their company is like desiring to be the friend of the cool kids. Wanting to be in with them. People would do or say just about anything to be part of the cool click. They will be mean to their friends. That desire to be their buddy can lead to doing things that are wrong. Know that their lifestyle is wrong and we have something to offer them. We don’t need approval from them, we have it already in God.
We go to parties and other places to “rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” Psalm 24:11
And to love them. Because the greatest commandment is to love—God and others and our enemies. That is our first responsibility. The great commission is not the greatest commandment. I think that the greatest way we can love someone is to turn them toward Christ, but that does not mean that our goal is to convert them. Our goal is to love them and the commission falls in that.
What do you think of when you hear the word evangelism?
Answers I received//
Missions, door to door. Street corner crazies, yelling and screaming, pat Robertson, conservative, tv evangelism, politics, preaching, radical, over the top, actively trying to tell other people about God, separate from other parts of the church, recognizing a need to have a relationship with God, added modern meaning, christianeese,
Why is there so much more bad imagery then good?
For Bruce: Television and televangelist and high pressure and money and scandal and big hair and then my favorite, one guys said pinky rings. What surprised me was that almost every one of their responses was negative. So much so that I asked, “Can anyone give me one positive image of evangelism?” And somebody said, “Billy Graham.” Yeah! We got one.
“On the street, evangelism is equated with pressure. It means selling God as if God were vinyl siding, replacement windows, or a mortgage refinancing service. It means shoving your ideas down someone’s throat, threatening him with hell if he does not capitulate to your logic or scripture quoting. It means excluding everyone from God’s grace except those who agree with the evangelizer. “
It’s tragic because the word evangelism is a good word. It comes from the Greek word evangel, which means “good news.” Evangelism is the process by which we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to others. Evangelism is bringing the message of hope to a hopeless, hurting world. Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The good news or the gospel as we call it, is that God loves us more than we can ever imagine and wants to enjoy a personal relationship with us and wants us to enjoy a day to day friendship with him.
McLaren introduces this concept in his introduction when he writes, “If you know anything about Jesus at all, you probably know that he was an amazing conversationalist. Unlike the typical evangelist-caricature of our day, Jesus was short on sermons, long on conversations, short on answers, long on questions, short on abstractions and propositions, long on stories and parables, short on telling you what to think, long on challenging you to think for yourself, short on condemning the irreligious, long on confronting the religious.”
“This is the kind of evangelism we’re going to explore in this book, evangelism in the style of Jesus. Evangelism that flows like a dance and begins with something beyond yourself. Think of a song that comes to you somehow from somewhere. At first you may catch a note here, a phrase there, and it may sound strange. But once you really hear it, once you pick it up, once it finds its way into your soul and begins to play there, it feels so familiar, so natural, that you wonder if you have made it up yourself. Yet the song’s splendor and grandeur and mystery convince you that its origin lies beyond your own imagination. You find yourself humming the song, tapping your finger to it, whistling it … and you wonder ‘Where did this come from? Who wrote this song? How did it get into my head?’”
“Over time, your whole life begins to harmonize to the song. Its rhythm awakens you. Its tempo moves you, so you resonate with its tone and flow with its melody. The lyric gradually convinces you that the entire world was meant to share in this song with its message, its joy, its dance. If more people heard the music, their hatred would give way to reconciliation. Their greed would melt into generosity. Their grumbling would transform into gratitude. Their mourning would be turned to dancing. People would stop polluting and start planting gardens, if they lived by the song. They would stop fighting and start playing hilarious practical jokes on each other, throwing joyous picnics and parties, playing raucous games, dreaming wild dreams, and enjoying a good laugh every chance they got.”
“Anyone who hears the song – truly hears it – must dance. And all dancers seek to share their joy.
Evangelism is all about relationships. It’s not about arguments or having all the answers. It’s about genuinely loving and caring for people and getting close enough to them so they can see Christ in you, the hope of glory, so they can sing the song.
One of my favorite evangelism stories in the New Testament has to do with a reject named Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector, which in Jesus day was like being connected to the mob. He was a Jewish man who had sold his soul to the Romans and was employed by them to collect as much money from his countrymen as he could. And once he satisfied the tax obligations set by the Romans he could extort all the extra money he could get and keep it for himself. He was a licensed thief. And he was hated for it. Then he met Jesus.
And Jesus shared the song with him. And Matthew heard it and he embraced it and it filled his soul in a way that money could not and immediately changed his life. So he wanted to share the song with his friends who were other tax collectors and “sinners” and mobsters just like him.
His first thought was, “Maybe I can take them to church.” But “church” in his day meant going to the Temple or to the synagogue and listening to a robed rabbi read long, rambling sections of the Old Testament law. Not the best idea, at least not for the crowd that Matthew ran with.
But then he had another idea. He’d throw party. He was good at parties and his buddies loved to party. But this one would be different. He’d still put out a spread of food with plenty to eat and lots to drink and crank up the music, but he’d also invite Jesus and a few of his followers to show up and to rub shoulders with his crowd. And maybe some conversations would take place and some relationships would be birthed out of that. Maybe some of his friends would hear the song.
And sure enough, Jesus showed up at the party along with his disciples and they had a great time. But apparently they were having too good of a time because Jesus came under fire from the religious types who were looking through the window.
Listen to how Matthew records the evening in his gospel. Matthew 9:10-13 says, While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:9-13
Mark 2: 13-17 He was eating and spending time with “sinners.” We all are sinners. We just deem certain types of sins as worse and the people who live that way to be worse than us. It is a type of pride. Gets close to them.
Luke 5:27-30
After shooting down some stale and offensive ideas of what evangelism has become in the 21st century. McLaren challenges us to think of it this way, “What if there really is a great and good and kind God, and we humans really are God’s creatures, though we lose our way sometimes? And what if our deepest dream is really true, that the God who really exists really loves us? And what if one of the best ways for God to get through to those of us who have lost our way is by the kindness and influence of those others who have been brought back to a good path? And what if for every obvious and sleazy religious huckster there are in fact a dozen subtle but sincere examples of spiritual authenticity and vibrancy whose influences would do the rest of us a lot of good? What if there really are “angels” out there -- not of the wings-and-halos type, but of the flesh-and-blood, laughter-and-tears type -- people who are literally sent by God to intervene, to help those of us who have mucked up our lives, to give us a taste of grace, a “rumor of glory,” as songwriter Bruce Cockburn says?”
“And what if you and I, who begin as wandering and confused people, could be so helped by our caring God-sent and love-filled friends that we could join them as messengers of grace, carriers of good news, secret-agent angels, case studies in God’s power to change, enrich, fill, and rescue lives that were being wasted, ruined, self-sabotaged? What if evangelism is one of the things that our world needs most?”
Are you ready for the adventure? Are ready to dance? I think you are. In fact, I think you’re more ready than you realize.
Where are some places that we can bring the music?
How does this fit together with Proverbs 24:1 and Psalm 1:1?
Proverbs 24
Do not look to the other side and say the grass is greener. And get rid of the “nice guys finish last” attitude.
Do not desire the company of wicked men.
This is different from Jesus hanging out at a party with Matthew.
Desiring their company is like desiring to be the friend of the cool kids. Wanting to be in with them. People would do or say just about anything to be part of the cool click. They will be mean to their friends. That desire to be their buddy can lead to doing things that are wrong. Know that their lifestyle is wrong and we have something to offer them. We don’t need approval from them, we have it already in God.
We go to parties and other places to “rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” Psalm 24:11
And to love them. Because the greatest commandment is to love—God and others and our enemies. That is our first responsibility. The great commission is not the greatest commandment. I think that the greatest way we can love someone is to turn them toward Christ, but that does not mean that our goal is to convert them. Our goal is to love them and the commission falls in that.
Light
LIGHT
Can’t do seeking yet because something must make you want to seek. Desire. But what gives us the desire? When we are exposed to God. The light. In our good deeds. In the holy spirit. In the gospel’s message.
Light and Darkness –They seem to be universally understood. This image of light and darkness has been used by everyone from William Shakespeare to Darth Vader and from Jesus to Metallica. But there is also an illusive element to them. I tried to pinpoint just what light stood for, but I couldn’t. It is too complex, too deep for me to summarize in a few short thoughts and sentences. Paul, in Ephesians, wrote a section about living as children of light, John, in first John, wrote a section about walking in the light. It is a popular topic for David and Solomon in the Psalms and Proverbs. Isaiah mentions light and dark in 35 different passages. It is talked about by the Prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Zechariah. It is mentioned in all four gospels, and many other books in the bible. The words light, dark, and reveal are used 476 times in the bible. From God’s first words:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
To the last chapter in Revelations talking about the New Jerusalem:
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
So, I asked Dom and Darrin what they thought. And Darrin said something that made me realize why I was having so much trouble summing it up. He pointed out 1John 1:5 to me.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light…”
There are only a few things that God is. One is love the other another is light. He is described as being holy but not being holiness, being strong but not being strength…etc. That’s when I realized that trying to summarize what light is, is about as easy as trying to summarize who God is. There are so many attributes that can describe it and all are good.
1) God/ Jesus
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9: 5
“God…who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” 1Timothy 6:16
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.” Psalm 89:13
“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1John 1:5-
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21
2) A light to Life
By following what the light reveals to us we will find life.
The Gospel of John starts off this way,
“In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1: 1-5
Jesus’ life and God’s word is a light to men.
“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalm 56: 13
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:
“…God who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us I Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2Timothy 1:9-10
“For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,” Proverbs 6: 23
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119 :105
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory form God the father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying,” this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that comes from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets make more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2Peter 1:16-21
“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." John 11:10
3) To Reveal the Glory of God
“For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2Corinthians 4:6
“Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” Psalm 43:3
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, an the lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of earth will bring their splendor into it.” Revelations 21:22-24
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish things behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1Corinthians
4) It Reveals Us
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient do in secret.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:8-14
“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” Psalm 90:8
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3: 19-21
“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roof tops.” Luke 12:3
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5
“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Daniel 2:22
5) We are lights when we are in the Lord
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Ephesians 5:8
“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
“You ARE the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 15?- 16
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God, without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” Philippians 2:14-16a
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22: 5
“[ Living as Children of Light ] So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Ephesians 4:17-18
1) hardened their hearts-à goes to ignorance and darkness-à separation from the life of God
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37: 3-6
6) The light shines on those who follow God in ever increasing measures
“The path of the righteous is like the firs gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” Proverbs 4: 18-19
“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory form God the father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying,” this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that comes from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets make more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2Peter 1:16-21
7) Is a Kingdom; one kingdom is in God’s light, the other is in darkness.
“..giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,” Colossians 1:12-13
“The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony”
Revelation 16:10
“These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” 2 Peter 2:17
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
“For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14
8) It makes us aware (awake to) of God’s plan of salvation
“for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘peace and safety’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So, then let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet.” 1Thessalonians 5: 2-8
“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark speak in the daylight: what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” Matthew 10:26-27
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2Corinthians 4:4
“I (Jesus)will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' Acts 26: 17-18
“Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.” John 12: 35-36
9) Those who belong to the light:
-Are self controlled -1Thessalonians 5: 2-8
-have faith
-have love
-have hope in salvation
-love
-do good Ephesians 5:9
“[ Walking in the light ] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”
-Gives fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth –Ephesians 5
-have a guide to life and a God who will show them the next steps in their lives
-can see God working in their lives
-acclaim God
-are purified from sin through Christ 1John 1:5
-live by truth
-understand light John 1: 5
-are able to walk before God Psalm 56
-pay attention to the word of God
-are on the road to abundant life
-are exposed to the glory of God in the life of Christ 2Cor
-are heading toward God
-will live in the new Jerusalem
-find out what pleases the LORD Ephesians 5
-expose the fruitless deeds of darkness
-are know fully by God (aren’t we all? but those in the light know it and are not afraid to be there?) Psalm 90
-will receive praise from God 1Corinthians4
-are lights Ephesians 5, Matthew 5
-give to the hungry
-aide the oppressed
-do things without complaining or arguing
-become blameless and pure
-hold out the word of life to others Philippians 2
-are not separated from the life of God
-have committed their way of life to the LORD Psalm 37
are members of the kingdom of light
-have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness
-are released from the power of Satan and in God’s power Acts 26-
10) Light is invisible until it hits something
Bible commentary—“By itself, light is invisible; and yet everything is invisible until light strikes it. So it is with God; We can’t see him, but ‘in his light’ (under his loving influence) we see and understand his love in all that surrounds us.” (and is in us)
“Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God, or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four footed animals or reptiles.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”
Romans 1:20-25
“God…who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” 1Timothy 6:16
(We’re not flash lights who shine only on the person looking at us, we shed light on all that is around us.)
Light can either be looked at itself, like a lantern or it can allow us to look at everything else.
There seems to be a light from God that gives us knowledge of life and how to live. When we live in the light we become ‘sons of the light’ and are able to shine ourselves when we do good works and point to God.
You are the Sun---Sarah Groves
Lump Nooma
Questions
Can someone love and not be in the light?
Can someone be in the light and not love God?
How does knowing any of this change the way we live our lives?
Does it show the importance of knowing God?
How does it feel to know that we are fully known by God?
Can’t do seeking yet because something must make you want to seek. Desire. But what gives us the desire? When we are exposed to God. The light. In our good deeds. In the holy spirit. In the gospel’s message.
Light and Darkness –They seem to be universally understood. This image of light and darkness has been used by everyone from William Shakespeare to Darth Vader and from Jesus to Metallica. But there is also an illusive element to them. I tried to pinpoint just what light stood for, but I couldn’t. It is too complex, too deep for me to summarize in a few short thoughts and sentences. Paul, in Ephesians, wrote a section about living as children of light, John, in first John, wrote a section about walking in the light. It is a popular topic for David and Solomon in the Psalms and Proverbs. Isaiah mentions light and dark in 35 different passages. It is talked about by the Prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Zechariah. It is mentioned in all four gospels, and many other books in the bible. The words light, dark, and reveal are used 476 times in the bible. From God’s first words:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
To the last chapter in Revelations talking about the New Jerusalem:
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
So, I asked Dom and Darrin what they thought. And Darrin said something that made me realize why I was having so much trouble summing it up. He pointed out 1John 1:5 to me.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light…”
There are only a few things that God is. One is love the other another is light. He is described as being holy but not being holiness, being strong but not being strength…etc. That’s when I realized that trying to summarize what light is, is about as easy as trying to summarize who God is. There are so many attributes that can describe it and all are good.
1) God/ Jesus
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9: 5
“God…who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” 1Timothy 6:16
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.” Psalm 89:13
“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1John 1:5-
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21
2) A light to Life
By following what the light reveals to us we will find life.
The Gospel of John starts off this way,
“In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1: 1-5
Jesus’ life and God’s word is a light to men.
“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalm 56: 13
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:
“…God who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us I Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2Timothy 1:9-10
“For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,” Proverbs 6: 23
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119 :105
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory form God the father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying,” this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that comes from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets make more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2Peter 1:16-21
“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." John 11:10
3) To Reveal the Glory of God
“For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2Corinthians 4:6
“Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” Psalm 43:3
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, an the lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of earth will bring their splendor into it.” Revelations 21:22-24
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish things behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1Corinthians
4) It Reveals Us
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient do in secret.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:8-14
“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” Psalm 90:8
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3: 19-21
“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roof tops.” Luke 12:3
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5
“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Daniel 2:22
5) We are lights when we are in the Lord
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Ephesians 5:8
“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
“You ARE the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 15?- 16
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God, without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” Philippians 2:14-16a
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22: 5
“[ Living as Children of Light ] So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Ephesians 4:17-18
1) hardened their hearts-à goes to ignorance and darkness-à separation from the life of God
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37: 3-6
6) The light shines on those who follow God in ever increasing measures
“The path of the righteous is like the firs gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” Proverbs 4: 18-19
“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory form God the father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying,” this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that comes from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets make more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2Peter 1:16-21
7) Is a Kingdom; one kingdom is in God’s light, the other is in darkness.
“..giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,” Colossians 1:12-13
“The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony”
Revelation 16:10
“These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” 2 Peter 2:17
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
“For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14
8) It makes us aware (awake to) of God’s plan of salvation
“for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘peace and safety’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So, then let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet.” 1Thessalonians 5: 2-8
“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark speak in the daylight: what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” Matthew 10:26-27
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2Corinthians 4:4
“I (Jesus)will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' Acts 26: 17-18
“Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.” John 12: 35-36
9) Those who belong to the light:
-Are self controlled -1Thessalonians 5: 2-8
-have faith
-have love
-have hope in salvation
-love
-do good Ephesians 5:9
“[ Walking in the light ] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”
-Gives fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth –Ephesians 5
-have a guide to life and a God who will show them the next steps in their lives
-can see God working in their lives
-acclaim God
-are purified from sin through Christ 1John 1:5
-live by truth
-understand light John 1: 5
-are able to walk before God Psalm 56
-pay attention to the word of God
-are on the road to abundant life
-are exposed to the glory of God in the life of Christ 2Cor
-are heading toward God
-will live in the new Jerusalem
-find out what pleases the LORD Ephesians 5
-expose the fruitless deeds of darkness
-are know fully by God (aren’t we all? but those in the light know it and are not afraid to be there?) Psalm 90
-will receive praise from God 1Corinthians4
-are lights Ephesians 5, Matthew 5
-give to the hungry
-aide the oppressed
-do things without complaining or arguing
-become blameless and pure
-hold out the word of life to others Philippians 2
-are not separated from the life of God
-have committed their way of life to the LORD Psalm 37
are members of the kingdom of light
-have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness
-are released from the power of Satan and in God’s power Acts 26-
10) Light is invisible until it hits something
Bible commentary—“By itself, light is invisible; and yet everything is invisible until light strikes it. So it is with God; We can’t see him, but ‘in his light’ (under his loving influence) we see and understand his love in all that surrounds us.” (and is in us)
“Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God, or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four footed animals or reptiles.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”
Romans 1:20-25
“God…who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” 1Timothy 6:16
(We’re not flash lights who shine only on the person looking at us, we shed light on all that is around us.)
Light can either be looked at itself, like a lantern or it can allow us to look at everything else.
There seems to be a light from God that gives us knowledge of life and how to live. When we live in the light we become ‘sons of the light’ and are able to shine ourselves when we do good works and point to God.
You are the Sun---Sarah Groves
Lump Nooma
Questions
Can someone love and not be in the light?
Can someone be in the light and not love God?
How does knowing any of this change the way we live our lives?
Does it show the importance of knowing God?
How does it feel to know that we are fully known by God?
Love 2
Love means being "for" the one who is loved.
“If I love someone it means I have certain hopes and intentions and wishes for them. I’m in their corner. I long for them to flourish and blossom. I want them to realize all their potential. I want them to become filled with virtue and moral beauty.”
This is a good question to ask ourselves. Am I for that person or do I want them to fail so that I can “succeed”? Or maybe I just don’t care one way or the other if the people around me are growing closer to God or realizing their goals or are included in the conversation.
“This means sometimes I may need to do that which will cause pain for the one I love. Love is often confused with softness. When we speak of doing ‘loving things’ we sometimes think it means ‘always doing what the person I love would want me to do.” This is of course not love; it’s not even sane. Try it with a three year old, and odds are she’ll never make it to four.”
In many cases authentic love will unnerve, offend, disturb, or even hurt those who are being loved.
“Being for someone is deeper than just wanting to spare them pain. If I am really for a person, I am willing to risk saying painful things, if pain is the only way to bring growth. ‘For the Lord disciplines those whom whom he loves.”
“To be for someone means I identify with him, I’m cheering him on; I celebrate her victories and mourn her setbacks. It means I deeply and sincerely wish him well.” “This shows how difficult it is to love. It doesn’t take much truth-telling for me to admit that I don’t want my enemies to succeed. Much more humbling is the fact that deep down I often don’t even want my friends to succeed too much.”
Why wouldn’t I want my friends to succeed too much?
Probably because it I base my value in my own success instead of Christ’s success. I don’t see my value as a son of God but instead I see my value as someone who is better at life than someone else or better than the norm.
Remember this is a command for us to do, but also something that God is already doing to us. And unless we receive his love, we will never be able to love the way that we are called to do.
Is Jesus “for” us?
How can we see this?
Are we “for” God?
“If I love someone it means I have certain hopes and intentions and wishes for them. I’m in their corner. I long for them to flourish and blossom. I want them to realize all their potential. I want them to become filled with virtue and moral beauty.”
This is a good question to ask ourselves. Am I for that person or do I want them to fail so that I can “succeed”? Or maybe I just don’t care one way or the other if the people around me are growing closer to God or realizing their goals or are included in the conversation.
“This means sometimes I may need to do that which will cause pain for the one I love. Love is often confused with softness. When we speak of doing ‘loving things’ we sometimes think it means ‘always doing what the person I love would want me to do.” This is of course not love; it’s not even sane. Try it with a three year old, and odds are she’ll never make it to four.”
In many cases authentic love will unnerve, offend, disturb, or even hurt those who are being loved.
“Being for someone is deeper than just wanting to spare them pain. If I am really for a person, I am willing to risk saying painful things, if pain is the only way to bring growth. ‘For the Lord disciplines those whom whom he loves.”
“To be for someone means I identify with him, I’m cheering him on; I celebrate her victories and mourn her setbacks. It means I deeply and sincerely wish him well.” “This shows how difficult it is to love. It doesn’t take much truth-telling for me to admit that I don’t want my enemies to succeed. Much more humbling is the fact that deep down I often don’t even want my friends to succeed too much.”
Why wouldn’t I want my friends to succeed too much?
Probably because it I base my value in my own success instead of Christ’s success. I don’t see my value as a son of God but instead I see my value as someone who is better at life than someone else or better than the norm.
Remember this is a command for us to do, but also something that God is already doing to us. And unless we receive his love, we will never be able to love the way that we are called to do.
Is Jesus “for” us?
How can we see this?
Are we “for” God?
Love Beyond Reaon
Love Beyond Reason
Ask any Christian (or non-Christian) “what is the most important thing we can do in life?”, and most of them should tell you, love. It is our number one commandment.
“’Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ (mind in Mark’s gospel). This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. There is no commandment greater than these.
All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22: 37-40 (w/ references to Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18)
(The old and new testaments both are built on this)
It is the basis for all of God’s works. I hardly even feel the need to stress the importance of love. If you are alive you want it. You need it. It is like air. It is an essential part of life and everyone, at heart, knows it.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6b
But what is love?
Many times I ask myself after hearing the greatest commandment, “But how?” Sometimes I hear it and feel worse about myself and think how hard it is to love.
I’ll read something like 1 John 3: 14b-18
“Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together.”
And think, “Oh man. Is that me?”
It is impossible to love this way unless we receive love from God.
“We love because He loved us first.” 1 John 4:19
In fact it says that God is love.
“God is love…For love comes from God.” 1 John 4: 7-8
God will supply us with what we need, but we need to receive it first. A life in God is a reaction to God’s love for us. When we realize that we are beloved by God and really believe that we are loved by God it changes the way we live.
And the most powerful way that God shows his extreme love is on the cross.
“This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us.” 1John 3
The cross says,” I love you.” It says that you are important to God. He is willing to go through pain and suffering and shame, and even death for our benefit. Just on the chance that we might see how much he loves us. He takes on our punishment and shame and even death just for us.
God never intended us to stoically and miserably go through life “loving” people. He intended it to be an expression of the joy and love that is welling up and overflowing up within us.
I am going to talk about two types of love:
1) Love that seeks value in it’s object, and
2) love that creates value in it’s object.
Pandy, bro-jon bun, elli
“she was not a particularly attractive doll. In fact, to tell you the truth she was a mess. She was no longer a valuable doll; I’m not sure we could have given her away. But for reasons that no one could ever quite figure out, in the way that kids sometimes do, my sister loved that little rag doll still. She loved her as strongly in the days of Pandy’s raggedness as she ever had in her days of great beauty.”
We are all rag dolls. Flawed and wounded, broken and bent.
But we are God’s rag dolls. He knows all our raggedness, and he loves us anyhow. Our raggedness is no longer the most important thing about us.
We are most used to a type of love that looks for someone or something of great worth. This love celebrates the beauty or strength of the beloved. The love we’re most familiar with is drawn to an object because it is expensive or attractive or lends status to the one associated with it. This love satisfies my desire, wins my admiration, or fulfills my appetites. It is a treasure hunt.
We learn about this kind of love early on. (Eros. Cinderella, babies, snow white)
Eros is to precarious a love to build your life on when you’re a rag doll. You will be trapped in an unwinnable contest to prove you’re pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough, or spiritual enough to deserve loving. You will be afraid to let the ragged edges of your true self show. No, rag dolls need love made of sterner stuff than mere Eros.
There is a love that creates value in what is loved. There is a love that turns the ragged stuffed animal you had when you were a kid into a priceless treasure. There is a love that grabs hold of imperfect people for reasons that no one could ever quite figure out and makes them precious and valued beyond belief. This is the love of God. This is the love with which God loves you and me.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with my loving kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
God draws us. He loves us into who he wants us to be.
And when we allow this kind of love to enter us and only when we receive this kind of God love can we love in this way ourselves.
We don’t just give our love to people who can give back to us. We love broken people, imperfect people, even people who don’t love us. Loving is a choice we make that no one can make us change. It is the greatest gift in life. Loving recklessly is the fastest way to life.
Ask any Christian (or non-Christian) “what is the most important thing we can do in life?”, and most of them should tell you, love. It is our number one commandment.
“’Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ (mind in Mark’s gospel). This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. There is no commandment greater than these.
All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22: 37-40 (w/ references to Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18)
(The old and new testaments both are built on this)
It is the basis for all of God’s works. I hardly even feel the need to stress the importance of love. If you are alive you want it. You need it. It is like air. It is an essential part of life and everyone, at heart, knows it.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6b
But what is love?
Many times I ask myself after hearing the greatest commandment, “But how?” Sometimes I hear it and feel worse about myself and think how hard it is to love.
I’ll read something like 1 John 3: 14b-18
“Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together.”
And think, “Oh man. Is that me?”
It is impossible to love this way unless we receive love from God.
“We love because He loved us first.” 1 John 4:19
In fact it says that God is love.
“God is love…For love comes from God.” 1 John 4: 7-8
God will supply us with what we need, but we need to receive it first. A life in God is a reaction to God’s love for us. When we realize that we are beloved by God and really believe that we are loved by God it changes the way we live.
And the most powerful way that God shows his extreme love is on the cross.
“This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us.” 1John 3
The cross says,” I love you.” It says that you are important to God. He is willing to go through pain and suffering and shame, and even death for our benefit. Just on the chance that we might see how much he loves us. He takes on our punishment and shame and even death just for us.
God never intended us to stoically and miserably go through life “loving” people. He intended it to be an expression of the joy and love that is welling up and overflowing up within us.
I am going to talk about two types of love:
1) Love that seeks value in it’s object, and
2) love that creates value in it’s object.
Pandy, bro-jon bun, elli
“she was not a particularly attractive doll. In fact, to tell you the truth she was a mess. She was no longer a valuable doll; I’m not sure we could have given her away. But for reasons that no one could ever quite figure out, in the way that kids sometimes do, my sister loved that little rag doll still. She loved her as strongly in the days of Pandy’s raggedness as she ever had in her days of great beauty.”
We are all rag dolls. Flawed and wounded, broken and bent.
But we are God’s rag dolls. He knows all our raggedness, and he loves us anyhow. Our raggedness is no longer the most important thing about us.
We are most used to a type of love that looks for someone or something of great worth. This love celebrates the beauty or strength of the beloved. The love we’re most familiar with is drawn to an object because it is expensive or attractive or lends status to the one associated with it. This love satisfies my desire, wins my admiration, or fulfills my appetites. It is a treasure hunt.
We learn about this kind of love early on. (Eros. Cinderella, babies, snow white)
Eros is to precarious a love to build your life on when you’re a rag doll. You will be trapped in an unwinnable contest to prove you’re pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough, or spiritual enough to deserve loving. You will be afraid to let the ragged edges of your true self show. No, rag dolls need love made of sterner stuff than mere Eros.
There is a love that creates value in what is loved. There is a love that turns the ragged stuffed animal you had when you were a kid into a priceless treasure. There is a love that grabs hold of imperfect people for reasons that no one could ever quite figure out and makes them precious and valued beyond belief. This is the love of God. This is the love with which God loves you and me.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with my loving kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
God draws us. He loves us into who he wants us to be.
And when we allow this kind of love to enter us and only when we receive this kind of God love can we love in this way ourselves.
We don’t just give our love to people who can give back to us. We love broken people, imperfect people, even people who don’t love us. Loving is a choice we make that no one can make us change. It is the greatest gift in life. Loving recklessly is the fastest way to life.
Why I trust the Bible
The Word of God
I did not want to teach out of my own logic or out of my experience. They are a great tool in helping me and others understand, but they are not always accurate and they are can come from a flawed perspective. We all have blind spots; things that we just can’t see the way that they are supposed to be. And most of the time we don’t even know what those blind spots are. There needs to be a purer frame of reference than our own minds.
And I feel that is why God gave us the bible. It is a glimpse of his perspective. They are not just thoughts from good people. Thoughts from good people are not necessarily right. They have no more authority than my own thoughts. But if we believe that it was the Holy Spirit working through men then be believe it was God’s voice we were hearing and not man’s voices. That makes a huge difference. If it were men’s perspective it needs to be tested against all that we have; experiences, historical documents, philosophers, our culture, etc.. and it has been tried against all those things. But if it is God’s perspective and God’s perspective is right and true than we must trust it. When we trust it, it changes everything. We all use a frame of reference: an ultimate standard that we test everything against. Some use science (which incidentally tends to walk hand and hand with the bible or a few steps behind) others their own experiences or thoughts or history writers or etc… The word of God, of which the bible is the clearest form, is the standard which I choose to measure all other things against.
But??
How can you believe the Bible, there are so many interpretations out there? Or how can the Bible be relevant for today, it was written so long ago?” “Do you mean to tell me that you actually believe everything that’s in the Bible? You believe the Bible’s literally true?” Many dismiss the Bible as a book of “embellished folk tales”.
We don’t read the bible for the most part. Most Americans have one, but few read it or know much about it. We don’t trust it.
Nine Reasons why I am convinced that the Bible can be trusted as the inspired, infallible Word of God.
1 The unity and consistency of the Bible.
Bible is the fact that it was written over a period of 1,500 years, in 66 individual books, by 40 different authors, in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)
And the writers were all different. Some were kings, some were farmers, some were fishermen, some were rabbis, some were wealthy, some were poor.
yet there’s amazing agreement among all the writers and a wonderful unity that ties them all together. T
People don’t agree that easily, especially people from such varied backgrounds and times and places writing about such controversial issues like the meaning of life. It would be tough to get that kind of agreement in your own home.
2 The amount of manuscript evidence is overwhelming
Still today we have over 5,000 Greek manuscripts that contain all or part of the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek. No ancient document comes close to having that kind of manuscript support. We have 7 surviving manuscripts of Plato’s (380 BC) writings and 5 for the works of Aristotle (350 BC). The manuscript evidence for the Bible is overwhelming.
And what’s even more amazing is that they agree with each other 99.5% of the time. The .5% of time when they vary is mostly over spelling and word order. The enormous volume and accuracy of the manuscript evidence, along with the unity of the Bible put it in a class by itself.
3 The archaeological evidence. If rocks could talk we’d call them to the witness stand and they would testify to the accuracy of the Bible. There once was a time when the Bible was criticized as being inaccurate when it came to historical information. But that’s not true anymore. Again and again archaeology has confirmed the reliability of the Bible.
4 Prophecies fulfilled.
the Old Testament 191 of those predictions were about the coming of Christ.
Over five hundred years before Jesus was born Hebrew prophets predicted the place of his birth (Micah 5:2), Bethlehem, that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), escape to Egypt, return to Nazareth, live the life of a suffering servant (Isaiah 53), ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12), stand silent at his trial (Isaiah 53:7), be beaten and spit on (Isaiah 50:6), be crucified on a cross before crucifixion was even known as a method of execution (Psalm 22:16), offered vinegar to drink while hanging on the cross (Psalm 69:21), have lots cast for his clothing (Psalm 22:18), be buried in a borrowed tomb (Isaiah 53:9), come back to life (Psalm 16), and be called God (Isaiah 9:6).
5 The Bible claims to be the Word of God.
2,600 times in the Old Testament we read phrases like “And the Lord spoke to me, saying,” or “The word of the Lord came to me saying,” or “The Lord said to me.” Over and over again the writers claim that the source of their information came from God himself.
The New Testament describes this process using the word inspired. 2 Timothy 3:16 says,
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
The biblical word “inspired” literally means God-breathed. The Scriptures both Old and New Testament came from the very mouth of God. The words originated with him. That’s what the Bible claims for itself. It doesn’t just claim to be a special book. It claims to be the Word of God.
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory form God the father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying,” this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that comes from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets make more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2Peter 1:16-21
6 Jesus Christ was convinced that the Bible was the Word of the Living God.
John 10:35 when he said, The Scripture cannot be broken.
Jesus made references to scriptures frequently and made decisions by them. An example of this is the time he was tempted in the desert where he combated the devil’s temptation with scriptural truths.
7 200,000,000 People’s Lives
So many of us could add another reason why we trust the Bible and that’s because we’ve seen what it’s done in our own lives. We’ve found in the pages of the Bible living water that has quenched our spiritual thirst and changed our lives and given us hope and meaning and purpose in life. The Bible has taught us how life works, and we can’t imagine living our life without it’s guidance.
8 The disciple’s reactions.
11 of Jesus' 12 disciples died because they refused to stop telling people about Jesus' life and resurrection from the dead. These are the same men who were at their lowest point when Christ was crucified. But just a few days later these men went from down and low to joyful and convicted. They would not have given up their lives if they did not believe what they said.
If they believed there was no God then they would not believe in the after life. And if they did not believe in an after life then they would be doing everything they could to hold on to their lives, not lay them down for the sake of a (what in this situation would be a) lie.
If the disciples believed that there was a God they would be concerned about what their eternal life would look like. They would not want to proclaim lies (heresy) that might earn them a quick trip to hell. Who in their right mind would intentionally provoke a God they believe in?
Which leads me to the next point. Were they in their right minds?
The disciples wrote (through the holly spirit) most of the New Testament. This is the best selling book of all time. It is filled with wisdom that has lasted for 2000 years. Most of our laws and values come from Jewish and Christian beliefs found in the bible that was written through these men. The teachings that they pass on are universal truths.
9 The truths found in the bible
They can be found to be true and relevant for everyone. We find so much depth, truth, and meaning in the teachings they passed on to us. Most of us follow these teaching weather we know it or not. It deeply ingrained in our morals and in our hearts.
“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ’Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” Deuteronomy 30: 11-14
The truths and knowledge of God is made more accessible through the bible.
Bible continued….
1 What is it for?
It Points to Jesus
It is not the bible that gives life. It is what is exposed in the bible that brings life.
“You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5: 39-40
God didn’t give us the Bible to be revered. He gave us the Bible to be read and studied and memorized and obeyed so that we can really live.
“But as you continue in what you have leaned and have become convinced of because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2Timothy 3: 14-17)
2 God wants us to come to him for guidance in life and not those who do not follow God.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1: 1-2
3 It is not easy to understand alone. We need other people to help us see what God is telling us.
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet, “Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come and sit with him.” Acts 8: 30-31
It makes it even more difficult to understand given that God does not approve of everything that is recorded in the bible. The Bible records Satan’s lies, but doesn’t approve of them. The Bible records David’s adultery but doesn’t approve of it. Etc…
… And that’s why we are here ….
I did not want to teach out of my own logic or out of my experience. They are a great tool in helping me and others understand, but they are not always accurate and they are can come from a flawed perspective. We all have blind spots; things that we just can’t see the way that they are supposed to be. And most of the time we don’t even know what those blind spots are. There needs to be a purer frame of reference than our own minds.
And I feel that is why God gave us the bible. It is a glimpse of his perspective. They are not just thoughts from good people. Thoughts from good people are not necessarily right. They have no more authority than my own thoughts. But if we believe that it was the Holy Spirit working through men then be believe it was God’s voice we were hearing and not man’s voices. That makes a huge difference. If it were men’s perspective it needs to be tested against all that we have; experiences, historical documents, philosophers, our culture, etc.. and it has been tried against all those things. But if it is God’s perspective and God’s perspective is right and true than we must trust it. When we trust it, it changes everything. We all use a frame of reference: an ultimate standard that we test everything against. Some use science (which incidentally tends to walk hand and hand with the bible or a few steps behind) others their own experiences or thoughts or history writers or etc… The word of God, of which the bible is the clearest form, is the standard which I choose to measure all other things against.
But??
How can you believe the Bible, there are so many interpretations out there? Or how can the Bible be relevant for today, it was written so long ago?” “Do you mean to tell me that you actually believe everything that’s in the Bible? You believe the Bible’s literally true?” Many dismiss the Bible as a book of “embellished folk tales”.
We don’t read the bible for the most part. Most Americans have one, but few read it or know much about it. We don’t trust it.
Nine Reasons why I am convinced that the Bible can be trusted as the inspired, infallible Word of God.
1 The unity and consistency of the Bible.
Bible is the fact that it was written over a period of 1,500 years, in 66 individual books, by 40 different authors, in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)
And the writers were all different. Some were kings, some were farmers, some were fishermen, some were rabbis, some were wealthy, some were poor.
yet there’s amazing agreement among all the writers and a wonderful unity that ties them all together. T
People don’t agree that easily, especially people from such varied backgrounds and times and places writing about such controversial issues like the meaning of life. It would be tough to get that kind of agreement in your own home.
2 The amount of manuscript evidence is overwhelming
Still today we have over 5,000 Greek manuscripts that contain all or part of the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek. No ancient document comes close to having that kind of manuscript support. We have 7 surviving manuscripts of Plato’s (380 BC) writings and 5 for the works of Aristotle (350 BC). The manuscript evidence for the Bible is overwhelming.
And what’s even more amazing is that they agree with each other 99.5% of the time. The .5% of time when they vary is mostly over spelling and word order. The enormous volume and accuracy of the manuscript evidence, along with the unity of the Bible put it in a class by itself.
3 The archaeological evidence. If rocks could talk we’d call them to the witness stand and they would testify to the accuracy of the Bible. There once was a time when the Bible was criticized as being inaccurate when it came to historical information. But that’s not true anymore. Again and again archaeology has confirmed the reliability of the Bible.
4 Prophecies fulfilled.
the Old Testament 191 of those predictions were about the coming of Christ.
Over five hundred years before Jesus was born Hebrew prophets predicted the place of his birth (Micah 5:2), Bethlehem, that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), escape to Egypt, return to Nazareth, live the life of a suffering servant (Isaiah 53), ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12), stand silent at his trial (Isaiah 53:7), be beaten and spit on (Isaiah 50:6), be crucified on a cross before crucifixion was even known as a method of execution (Psalm 22:16), offered vinegar to drink while hanging on the cross (Psalm 69:21), have lots cast for his clothing (Psalm 22:18), be buried in a borrowed tomb (Isaiah 53:9), come back to life (Psalm 16), and be called God (Isaiah 9:6).
5 The Bible claims to be the Word of God.
2,600 times in the Old Testament we read phrases like “And the Lord spoke to me, saying,” or “The word of the Lord came to me saying,” or “The Lord said to me.” Over and over again the writers claim that the source of their information came from God himself.
The New Testament describes this process using the word inspired. 2 Timothy 3:16 says,
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
The biblical word “inspired” literally means God-breathed. The Scriptures both Old and New Testament came from the very mouth of God. The words originated with him. That’s what the Bible claims for itself. It doesn’t just claim to be a special book. It claims to be the Word of God.
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory form God the father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying,” this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that comes from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets make more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2Peter 1:16-21
6 Jesus Christ was convinced that the Bible was the Word of the Living God.
John 10:35 when he said, The Scripture cannot be broken.
Jesus made references to scriptures frequently and made decisions by them. An example of this is the time he was tempted in the desert where he combated the devil’s temptation with scriptural truths.
7 200,000,000 People’s Lives
So many of us could add another reason why we trust the Bible and that’s because we’ve seen what it’s done in our own lives. We’ve found in the pages of the Bible living water that has quenched our spiritual thirst and changed our lives and given us hope and meaning and purpose in life. The Bible has taught us how life works, and we can’t imagine living our life without it’s guidance.
8 The disciple’s reactions.
11 of Jesus' 12 disciples died because they refused to stop telling people about Jesus' life and resurrection from the dead. These are the same men who were at their lowest point when Christ was crucified. But just a few days later these men went from down and low to joyful and convicted. They would not have given up their lives if they did not believe what they said.
If they believed there was no God then they would not believe in the after life. And if they did not believe in an after life then they would be doing everything they could to hold on to their lives, not lay them down for the sake of a (what in this situation would be a) lie.
If the disciples believed that there was a God they would be concerned about what their eternal life would look like. They would not want to proclaim lies (heresy) that might earn them a quick trip to hell. Who in their right mind would intentionally provoke a God they believe in?
Which leads me to the next point. Were they in their right minds?
The disciples wrote (through the holly spirit) most of the New Testament. This is the best selling book of all time. It is filled with wisdom that has lasted for 2000 years. Most of our laws and values come from Jewish and Christian beliefs found in the bible that was written through these men. The teachings that they pass on are universal truths.
9 The truths found in the bible
They can be found to be true and relevant for everyone. We find so much depth, truth, and meaning in the teachings they passed on to us. Most of us follow these teaching weather we know it or not. It deeply ingrained in our morals and in our hearts.
“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ’Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” Deuteronomy 30: 11-14
The truths and knowledge of God is made more accessible through the bible.
Bible continued….
1 What is it for?
It Points to Jesus
It is not the bible that gives life. It is what is exposed in the bible that brings life.
“You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5: 39-40
God didn’t give us the Bible to be revered. He gave us the Bible to be read and studied and memorized and obeyed so that we can really live.
“But as you continue in what you have leaned and have become convinced of because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2Timothy 3: 14-17)
2 God wants us to come to him for guidance in life and not those who do not follow God.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1: 1-2
3 It is not easy to understand alone. We need other people to help us see what God is telling us.
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet, “Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come and sit with him.” Acts 8: 30-31
It makes it even more difficult to understand given that God does not approve of everything that is recorded in the bible. The Bible records Satan’s lies, but doesn’t approve of them. The Bible records David’s adultery but doesn’t approve of it. Etc…
… And that’s why we are here ….
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