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Our Core Values
Who We Are And Why We Do What We Do
Biblical Authority—Living By The Authority Of Scripture
Luke 5:1-11
Introduction: A Child’s Understanding of the Bible
In trying to understand something it is often helpful
to see and hear what children think. As we continue in our
series on Core Values we are going to look this morning at
the value of living by what the Bible teaches. I have a few
insights about the Bible from some children as they reflected
on what they know about the Bible.
·
Noah’s
wife was called Joan of Arc
·
The
fifth commandment is humor thy father and mother
·
Lot’s
wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night
·
When
Mary heard she was going to be the mother of the Messiah she
went off and sang the Magna Carta
·
Iran
is the Bible of Moslems
·
A
Republican is a sinner mentioned in the Bible
·
The
people of Macedonia didn’t believe so Paul got stoned
·
The
first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple
We laugh, but at the same time we suspect that we
as adults also suffer from a lack of understanding. The new pastor asked a class of Sunday School children, “Who broke
down the walls of Jericho?” One of the boys quickly answered,
“Not me!” Upset, the pastor asked the teacher, “Is this typical?”
The teacher answered, “I believe this boy is honest and I
really don’t think he did it.” The pastor then went to the
head deacon who said, “I’ve known this boy and his teacher
for years and neither of them would do such a thing.” Appalled,
the pastor went to the Chair of the Christian Education Committee
who advised, “Pastor, let’s not make an issue of this. Let’s
just pay for the damage and charge it to maintenance.”
We
began the series last week by looking at the value of personal
integrity that influences our community as we live as salt
and light. We continue today as we look at what it means to
live under the authority of the Word of God. The value of
the Bible is affirmed by the lead statement in our church
doctrinal statement, which says,
We believe the Bible as God's inspired and inerrant Word is of
final authority in faith and life.
For
the Bible to stand as the final authority in what we believe
and how we live, then we need to know what the Bible says.
Observations From The Lives Of The Disciples
We
live our lives based on the written word of God. The first
disciples lived based on the spoken words of Jesus. One early
and quite dramatic account is provided by Luke.
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with
the people crowding around him and listening to the word of
God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the
fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of
the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put
out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people
from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a
catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard
all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say
so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so,
they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began
to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat
to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats
so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this,
he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord;
I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were
astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then
Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you
will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore,
left everything and followed him. Luke 5: 1-11
This account finds our Lord stepping into an
everyday, any day event that was common to the disciples.
We see how God’s Word changed the entire direction of their
lives. From this we will see what God’s Word does for us when we allow it to
have the same place in our hearts that the disciples allowed
Jesus that day. Let me make five observations from this
account where Jesus encounters some of the early disciples
and most directly Peter.
1st Observation: Jesus Makes Requests Of Us
To See How We Will Respond
When
Jesus enters our lives He does so to make a difference. He
comes into our lives and He asks certain things of us. He’s
very interested in our response. Just as in this account Jesus
gradually asked for the disciples’ obedience, that’s the way
God’s Word works in our hearts. Jesus first asked the disciples
to let him into the boat. He then asked them to take the boat
out into the lake where He could teach the people. When He
was finished He asked them to row out into the middle of the
lake. Finally, He asked them to let out the nets they had
been washing to store away for the day. Jesus gradually unfolds
His will for them to follow. At any stage they could have
interrupted the process by refusing to obey. Jesus works the
same way in our lives as He makes gentle requests and then
waits to see how we respond.
2nd Observation: Jesus Challenges Us To Trust
And Obey
Jesus
challenges us to obey Him in the most important areas of our
lives. It fascinates me that Jesus begins with something these
disciples understand—fishing. His requests focus on the things
they know about—the things that are important to them. The
question was, “Would
they trust Him?” Would they obey Him in areas they
already understood? We never wonder if we can trust God in
areas where we are uncertain. We are usually more than ready
to trust God in those places where we are stumbling along
searching for answers. The bigger question is, “Will I trust
God in areas where I’m already pretty sure?”
Jesus
walks into their lives and talks to them about something they
have done all their lives. Fishing is second nature to them.
They grew up on the water. They understand fishing. They can
think like fish. Jesus
challenges them to obey in the one area where they were certain
that they were certain.
3rd Observation: We Struggle In Areas Where
We Have Experience And Control
The
moment Jesus walks into our lives and begins to challenge
us in those areas where we have experience and exercise a
reasonable amount of control, there will be a tendency to
struggle. We see this in Peter. It’s going all right as long
as Jesus is enjoying His boat ride, but when
He decides to take over the fishing business, the struggle
starts. Peter says, “We’ve been fishing all night. We
didn’t catch anything!” We would say something like, “Been
there; done that!” Peter didn’t say it but I know I would
have been thinking, “Hey, remember who the fisherman is here!”
We
can all relate to Peter. Each of us knows what it’s like for
God to walk into our lives and tell us to do something that
we thought we were already doing. We quickly try to set Him
straight, “Ah, Lord, I don’t think a lesson is really necessary
in that area.” That is the precise point where Jesus challenges
us, “Are you going to
yield control to Me?”
4th Observation: We Are Called To Give God’s
Word Final Authority In Every Area Of Life
Even
if it doesn’t make sense to us we are called to obey. Peter
has his points where he makes big mistakes, but we really
need to hear his answer to Jesus. He has been a fisherman
all his life. He has been fishing all night and hasn’t caught
any fish. Listen to him now. Don’t miss this. He says, “But
because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).
We might paraphrase Peter’s words, “This doesn’t make any
sense at all. I don’t want to agree with it. I don’t think
it will work. But, I will let you have the final say.”
That
brings us to a very simple question. When we hold God’s Word in our hands and begin to read it, study it and
meditate on it, does it change us? Do we obey it? Is it really
the final authority by which we make decisions?
Chuck
Colson observes that many of us have Bibles, but the Bible
doesn’t change us. In fact a Gallup survey reports that 92%
of American homes have at least one Bible and 59% of people
say they read the Bible at least occasionally. When it comes
to basic Bible knowledge the results are dismal.
·
Only
50% of adults could name at least one Gospel
·
Only
42% could name at least 5 of the 10 Commandments
·
70%
knew Jesus was born in Bethlehem
·
Only
42% knew Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount
·
75%
believe the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves
In one survey of almost 1,400 people less than
1% said their lives were directed and truly changed by the
Word of God. The surveys tell us that many of us own a Bible
and some of us read the Bible but most of us are not affected
by it.
At
one time a speaker was invited as a guest lecturer at a major
university. The only stipulation placed upon him was that
he not talk about the Bible. He noted how strange this was
because that same evening he had been invited to speak at
the nearby prison. The first words of the warden were, “As
you talk to the prisoners, could you talk to them about biblical
principles?” We are not supposed to share God’s Word with
students whose lives are still being shaped, but when we speak
to prisoners who have already messed up their lives, then
we can talk about God’s wisdom for living. It’s all backwards.
It’s insane.
5th Observation: Consistent Obedience Produces
Consistent Results
When
the disciples invited Jesus into the boat they learned that
following Jesus is beneficial. Their nets were so filled with
fish that they began to break. They had to bring in help to
keep the boat from sinking. Even then, it was almost too much
for two boats. They never would have experienced the full
nets if they had not done what Jesus asked them to do.
Answers To 3 Common Questions
1st Question: Does The Bible Claim To Be God’s
Word?
Just because the Bible claims to be God’s Word doesn’t
verify that it is. But, if it doesn’t make the claim, then
it is foolhardy to turn it into something that it isn’t.
Consider this testimony offered by Paul to Timothy.
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.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
There
are four claims made by Paul.
The Bible Is
God’s Word—All Of It
The Bible isn’t half inspired and half not. It’s not party fallible and partly infallible. We will
all have favorite passages but all of it is God’s. It is all
life-changing. There are some passages that very hard to understand,
but it is still God’s. There are some passages that are difficult
to obey, but it is still God’s Word. There are some portions
of Scripture I have never preached on (The Song of Solomon)
but it is still God-inspired and has a purpose.
The Bible’s
Instruction Is Useful
The
Word of God is useful for us if we know it and obey it. Paul
tells Timothy it is useful for
·
Teaching: It tells us what is right
·
Rebuking: It points out where we are wrong
·
Correcting: It shows how to make the changes
·
Training: It helps us to consistently live right
The Bible Is
Comprehensive
God’s
Word speaks to the needs of people. One of the challenges
any pastor faces is how to meet the needs of every person
who listens. Here’s the good news for me—and for you, too!
It’s not my job to meet all of the needs of every person.
That’s what the Word of God does. It is my responsibility
to preach and teach the Word. God then takes care of your
needs as the Holy Spirit applies it to your life. People who
are struggling and people who are rejoicing are in the same
service. Only God can meet both at the same time in the same
place.
The Bible Can Completely Equip Us For Life
and Ministry
God’s
Word equips us to do what we could never do ourselves. The
combination of God’s Word and God’s Spirit is dynamic. If
you have God’s Spirit without God’s Word, you blow up. If
you God’s Word without God’s Spirit, you dry up. When you
have both God’s Word and God’s Spirit, you grow up.
When
you hold God’s Word in your hands, do
you truly understand what you have? Look back through
history and see what has happened.
·
King
Jehoiakim of Judah in 605 B.C. cuts up the scroll column by
column and burns it (Jeremiah 36). He then imprisons all the
prophets and priests.
·
John
the beloved disciple is banished to Patmos in 90 A.D. because
of the Word of God and the
testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1).
·
John
Wycliffe translates the Bible into English in the 1384 A.D.
Because of his heresy, 40 years after his death his body is
dug up, burned and the ashes are thrown into the Swift River.
The authorities declare that the Word of God will not be translated
into the language of the people.
·
William
Tyndale is burned at the stake in 1536 for translating the
Bible into English.
·
President
Thomas Jefferson produced his own edition of the gospels deleting
all of the miracles.
In
spite of all opposition, thousands of people have been involved
in translating and distributing the Bible. Many of them have
died. Consider this description of the wonder of holding God’s
Word in your hands.
The
Bible was written over a 1,500 year span. It was written over
40 generations by over 40 authors from every walk of life
including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets,
statesmen and scholars. It was written in different places,
including out in the wilderness, in dungeons, in palaces,
inside prison walls, while traveling and on lonely islands.
It was written at different times, sometimes in peace, sometimes
in battle. It was written during different moods, some writing
form the heights of joy while others wrote from the very depths
of sorrow. It was written in three languages—Hebrew, Aramaic
and Greek. It was written on three continents—Asia, Africa
and Europe. It covered subject matters including hundreds
of controversial subjects, yet with harmony and continuity
from Genesis to Revelation there is one unfolding story—and
the story is the redemption of man through Jesus Christ.
The
French philosopher, and some would add infidel, Voltaire who
died in 1778 traveled the world speaking against the Word
of God. He predicted that within 100 years after his death
that the Bible would no longer exist. Voltaire died and 50
years later the Geneva Bible Society bought his home. They
used the presses he had used to produce his atheistic diatribes
to print Bibles. As Jesus Himself said,
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will never pass away.
Matthew 24:35 NIV
2nd Question: How Can I Apply My Study Of
The Bible To My Daily Life?
The
best answer to this question is supplied in the example of
the Ezra, of whom we read,
For
on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon;
and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem,
because the good hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had
set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice
it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezra 7:9-10 NASB
Ezra
experienced the blessing of having the good hand of his God
upon him. This came as a result of his desire to have the
word of God make a difference in the way he lived. God’s good
hand was upon him because…
Ezra set his
heart to study God’s Word
He
expected to hear God as he read and studied.
Ezra set his
heart to put into practice what he learned
He
knew it was more than an academic exercise.
Ezra set his
heart to teach what he had learned
He
understood God’s message extended far beyond him.
Would you like to have God’s good hand upon you? I would. You begin by setting your heart to study,
obey and teach the Word of God. God’s Word is powerful and
useful as it thoroughly equips us for every good work. Use
these three simple phrases to guide you when you open your
Bible.
Learn It
It
can’t change your mind and transform your life until you know
it.
Love It
Once
it’s in your head, embrace it with your heart because you
realize it is God who is speaking to you.
Live It
Once
it’s in your heart it works out through your hands. It changes
the way you live and makes a difference in the way you treat
other people.
3rd Question: What Convictions Should I Have
Concerning The Bible?
Psalm
119 is all about celebrating the Word of God. The writer expresses
the power of God’s Word in his life.
Your
word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against
You.
Psalm 119:11 NASB
When
we learn the Word of God, when we love the Word of God and
when we live the Word of God we begin to develop some convictions
about it. Here are three convictions about the Word of God
that I want to make sure you have.
Even When I
Don’t Understand It, I’ll Trust What God Says
Instead of placing my trust in my fallible reasoning,
I will choose to trust God’s Word.
The account of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 is a perfect illustration.
Naaman is desperate to find help with the dreaded disease
of leprosy. A servant girl says there is a prophet in Israel
who can help. When Naaman arrives at Elijah’s house, the prophet
doesn’t even come out. Instead he sends out his servant with
the message from God to go dunk himself seven times in the
Jordan River. Naaman is angry. It doesn’t make any sense.
The rivers in Syria are much cleaner. How is washing himself
in a muddy river going to make his skin clean? Naaman exhibits
a great character strength of listening to the advice of one
his servants and follows through on the instructions. He is
healed.
Naaman
had a preconceived idea of how he thought God would work.
The prophet was supposed to come out and wave his hand over
the diseased area to cure him. With his preconceptions blasted
apart he later can say, “Now I know there is a God in Israel!”
We have all been Naaman, haven’t we? We approach God with a prayer request along with our
plan of how God will answer. We advise God on the various
steps He should use. Instead, knowing that the Word of God
is important, we need to trust God even when we don’t understand
it.
Although It
Seems Illogical, I’ll Obey What God Says
I
point you here to the illustration of Mary, Jesus’ mother,
in John 2 at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. They have run
out of wine at the wedding—a terrible gaffe. Mary asks Jesus
if He will help. She tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells
you.” We don’t know what the servants were thinking as they
filled six jars with water and then were told to take some
of the liquid out of the jars to the master of banquet. But,
they did it and found the water had become wine.
While Human
Opinions Vary, God’s Word Is Authoritative
Opinions
are only opinions. They will vary widely. God doesn’t waver.
When we seek to understand His teaching on any subject, we
start living life built on the solid foundation of convictions.
Convictions are formed when…
·
We have learned what the Word says on a
subject
·
We choose to apply and obey God’s Word
in the daily situations of life
·
We have decided what is worth living and
dying for
·
We have faced a challenge in this area
·
We have settled the issue before we are
forced to
What convictions do you have about right
and wrong, good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness? Failure to develop
convictions sets you up for failure when you face the challenge.
It’s too late to decide in the heat of the moment.
Conclusion: The Priority of God’s Word
The
leadership of this church is committed to understanding what
God says about something and then following it. The implications
for this in our current culture are pivotal. I was involved
in a recent revision/update of the doctrinal statement for
our regional association of churches. Beginning with a statement
about the priority of the Word of God, there are three updates
that jump off the page for me.
·
Life in the Spirit includes trials and
does not guarantee physical health, material wealth, nor confirming
outward signs.
·
We believe God established marriage to
be a lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one
woman.
·
We further believe that human life is precious
and should be protected from beginning, at fertilization,
until death.
In
many circles these positions will not be popular. In some,
they have the potential to become a reason for ridicule and
possibly persecution.
Here’s
my point: We are called to give God’s Word final authority
in every area of life. God’s Word has the power to change
your life. My challenge to you is to learn it, love it and
live it.
Prayer: Father, as we hold the
Word close to our hearts, we recognize that literally thousands
of people have paid an incredible price for us to sit here,
open it up and apply it to our lives. We are grateful for
that.
Help
us to understand that this precious Word is from you to us.
It’s a love letter. You became flesh. You literally fleshed
the Word out for us. It changes us. It stabilizes us. It gives
us strength. It’s our daily manna. So God, help us to always
put it in its proper place in our lives. And God, help us
not only to respect it and have a sense of reverence for it,
but help us to utilize it and pour it into our lives. Help
us to grow strong because of Your Word. Father, help us to
let it flow through us, because the only open Bible some are
going to see is our lives.
Father,
may we love the Bible as much as we love our favorite newspaper,
television programs or Facebook. Help us not to put other
things before the opportunity to hear from You. We leave this
morning with a new determination to learn it, love it and
live it. Amen.
Closing Thought: It’s not
the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me.
It’s the parts I do understand that give me fits.
Mark Twain
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