I hope you were able to catch Wednesday night of Fall_Camp_09.
The offering message was off the fo-shizzle..fo-rizzle!!
So here are my sermon notes for Message #3 (TG2BT) of the TEXT series::
TEXT
TG2BT
BIBLE (or 37818 upside down on your calculator) – Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth Say it, “it’s not TGTBT!”
Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105 (MSG) – By Your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) – Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11 (MSG) – I’ve banked Your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Psalm 119:11 (WotS) – I’ve memorized, internalized Your words on my heart as my guarantee not to make you frown.
It’s amazing what we do memorize:
Misery loves…company.
You’re barking up the…wrong tree.
That’s the pot calling the…kettle black.
You are what you…eat.
It’s just mind over…matter.
Don’t be a stick in…the mud.
Stupid is as…stupid does.
Birds of a feather…flock together.
Easy come…easy go.
On man’s trash is another man’s…treasure.
Kill 2 birds with…one stone.
What will people think when they hear that I’m I…Jesus Freak.
So how much Scripture do you know?
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
So it’s not a question of IF YOU CAN memorize, it’s a question of IF YOU DO memorize!
The Bible is not merely a book. (Book props)
It’s much more than that. It has to be. Think of the people that sacrificed their lives for it.
a. The Bible is a collection of writings that spans a period stretching over 2000 years.
b. It is 66 ancient documents written by 40 authors that tell a singular story.
c. It’s a story that we’re a part of today.
The Bible is the story of redemption.
a. It’s the story of a Father who has gone to great lengths to win the affections of an estranged child. It’s the story of a Creator who lost his prize creation and was willing to pay a high price to purchase what was originally His to begin with. It’s the story of a King who refuses to use His power to force loyalty, but instead came in disguise as a carpenter to win it.
b. Through narrative, prophecy, poetry, stories, letters, and autobiography, God used man to piece together the unfolding story of His pursuit of a prodigal race.
c. Redeem: to buy back, to regain possession of, to recover by payment, to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.
Understanding the way the Bible is divided makes it much less intimidating.
- Old Testament / New Testament ::: Testament means covenant.
- God had a covenant with Israel.
- Through Jesus, God established a new covenant with the rest of us.
- In the old covenant, sins were atoned for – covered – through the sacrificial system, the blood of animals.
- In the new covenant, sins are remitted – washed away / erased – forgiven through the blood of Christ.
The moment Jesus steps into His ministry, John the Baptist announces “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
The Old Testament is the story/history of the ancient nation of Israel.
The New Testament is the story/history of the ancient church.
The Old Testament is divided into 4 parts :: Law / History / Poetry / Prophets
The OT is not chronological. It’s kind of like your photo albums and your journal.
God gave the Law to Moses. The Law is the foundation.
The History Books are like photo albums – here is what happened.
The Prophets and Poetry are like journals – the story behind the pictures…the thoughts and emotions in the background.
The prophets, poetry, and history overlap.
For example::
2 Samuel 2 is the story of David and Bathsheba – tells what happened.
Psalms 51 is believed to be David’s prayer of repentance.
1 Kings gives us the story of Solomon.
Proverbs are his thoughts while king.
The prophets spoke to Israel’s leaders: Ezra is the history book about the Israelites returning from captivity. Haggai records what the prophet Haggai said to the leaders who were returning to rebuild the temple.
And then there is the GREAT CLIFFHANGER!!!
There is a space of 400 years between the end of the OT and the beginning of the NT.
In this time span we see the rise of the Persian and Greek Empire, and the rise of Rome.
The NT is divided into 4 section :: Gospels / History / Letters / Prophecy
Gospels:: The first 4 books of the NT gives us parallel accounts of Jesus’ life. 4 authors, 4 different perspectives, and different details.
History:: The book of Acts is a record of the 30 years that followed the ministry of Jesus. It records the spread of Christianity, the transition from a predominately Jewish church to one where Gentiles begin to fill the ranks.
Like the OT, parts of the NT overlap like a journal and a photo album. If Acts is a picture of what happens, the letters are like the journal.
There are 21 Letters written from leaders in the church to Christians – some of these letters were written to a church, a group of churches, or all.
Peter, John, James, Jude – eyewitnesses.
Paul – a later convert.
Just as the 4 Gospels are not sequential, so Acts and the letters that follow overlap.
Prophecy:: The NT ends with the book of Revelation, which was written by John to give a glimpse into the future.
Understanding the parts is what gives the whole so much power.
- Like when a person says, “I don’t believe the Bible is true,” that doesn’t really make much sense. Which book? Which author?
But it is true that if you had paid attention to what it said about money…or relationships…friends, parents, fun…you would have avoided your greatest regrets.
- Or people say, “It was written by men, therefore…” That’s what makes it so amazing. 40 people over 2000 years, with a 400 year gap, telling a single, multifaceted story! Wow!
- It is why so many people have picked it up as sceptics and set it down as followers of Christ – the Christ promised to Abraham in Genesis; the Christ David alluded to in Psalms; the Christ Isaiah prophesied about; the Christ promised by an angel to Mary; the Christ who was born, taught, healed, died, and rose again.
There is a reason why this is the most widely read book in the whole world.
My hope is that you consistently pick it up and read it.
Tomorrow night we’ll talk about that and lay out a plan.
Friends ARE TG2BT. Friends are not the answer.
Family IS TG2BT. Family is not your answer.
Fun IS definitely TG2BT. Fun is a fleeting feeling.
The Greatest TEXT is NOT TG2BT.
If you don’t read the TEXT, you’ll fail the test of life (literature work and test at school story).