How to have Victory when your bible doesn’t seem to work - Part 2
Guidance and the Bible
In Acts the disciples showed the same
respect as Jesus did for the bible
Paul’s sermon uses the OT to confirm
the message of Jesus: Acts 13:26-41
26 “Men and brethren, sons of the family of
Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of
this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who
dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor
even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have
fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 And
though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate
that He should be put to death. 29 Now when they
had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down
from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. 30 But
God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for
many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His
witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you
glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God
has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it
is also written in the second Psalm:
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’ (Psalm 2:7)
34 And that
He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has
spoken thus:
‘I will
give you the sure mercies of David.’
35 Therefore
He also says in another Psalm:
‘You will not allow Your Holy One to
see corruption.’ (Isaiah 55:3)
36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will
of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw
corruption; 37 but He whom God raised up saw
no corruption. 38 Therefore let it be known to you,
brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of
sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is
justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of
Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest what has been
spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 ‘Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’ ” (Psalm 16:10)
Acts 2
confirmed by Joel 2:28-32
Obedience
and the Bible
Our
response to scripture is and always will be a request to God word fulfilling
the command He has already stated.
Joshua 1 ESV
1 After the death of Moses
the servant of the Lord,
the Lord said to Joshua
the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my
servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you
and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them,
to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the
sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I
promised to Moses. 4 From the
wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all
the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun
shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to
stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with
you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be
strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the
land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very
courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my
servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the
left, that you may have good success[a] wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall
not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so
that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then
you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened,
and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your
God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua
Assumes Command
10 And Joshua commanded
the officers of the people, 11 “Pass
through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions,
for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to
take possession of the land that the Lord your
God is giving you to possess.’”
Hear the command-understand & believe (to take) the command-Move in the command.
Stability and the
Bible
The only people who achieve
real stability in their inner lives are the people who meditate day and night
on the Word of God.
Psalm 1:2-3 NKJV
2 But his
delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 119:9-11; 92; 165 NKJV
9 How can
a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
92 Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in
my affliction.
165 Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to
stumble.
Psalm 19:7-11 NKJV
7 The law
of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous
altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
What about when the Bible
doesn’t work?
Although it is rare to
find a Christian who will deny the importance of the bible, it is rather common
to find Christians who will say they rarely experience the power of the
scriptures to heal them, wash them, nourish them, renew them, strengthen them,
keep them from sin, clear there thoughts for them.
So is Psalm 119:9-11 just good religious talk or is it
truth? There is plenty of people who’s
only experience is a sermon, Christian song, and an occasional bible
reading. So why doesn’t it seem to work
for me at times?
A little bit doesn’t help!
· An athlete doesn’t train on occasion, he makes an
occasion.
· A singer doesn’t sing only when bored, its
continuous.
· A painter doesn’t paint when they have time, they
make time.
· A Follower of Jesus doesn’t occasionally think
about God’s word, He/She begins to embody it.
· A Follower of Jesus doesn’t occasionally do God’s
word, He/she mimic’s the faith of the people of scripture.
Now all
these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Confidence
in our Intelligence and Discipline
I have
learned that a person can understand the principles of biblical interpretation,
and have a working knowledge of the original language. Degree’s or man’s certification don’t mean
anything in the Kingdom, like humility, obedience, faith, and courage to
believe.
Hebrews 4:1-3A NKJV
4 Therefore, since a promise remains of
entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of
it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as
well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, [a]not
being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For
we who have believed do enter that rest,
John 5:37-40 NKJV
37 And the Father Himself,
who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor
seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word
abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You
search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life;
and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But
you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14 NKJV
13 These things we also
speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit
teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural
man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
Confidence in Tradition- Sacred Cows
Acts 10:13-16 NKJV
13 And a voice came to
him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so,
Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 And a voice spoke to
him again the second time, “What God has [a]cleansed
you must not call common.” 16 This was done three
times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
God said one thing, while Peters tradition and training was
saying something else.
Confidence in our ability to apply the bible
The bible is ALWAYS true compared to ALL things, at ALL
times, to ALL people.
First- The Revelation itself
Second- The Interpretation of the Revelation
Third- The Application of the Interpretation
Hebrews 6:16-19 NKJV
16 For men indeed swear by
the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an
end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to
show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the [a]immutability
of His counsel, [b]confirmed it by
an oath, 18 that by two [c]immutable
things, in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we [d]might
have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the
hope set before us.
19 This hope we
have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters
the Presence behind the veil,
2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV
16 All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Peter 1:19-21 NKJV
19 And so we have the
prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines
in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in
your hearts; 20 knowing this first,
that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy
never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as
they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
James 4 NKJV
4 Where do wars and fights come from
among you? Do they not come from your desires
for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You
lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight
and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You
ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may
spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers
and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity
with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the
Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace.
Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
Treasuring the Bible
In order to experience the
power of the scriptures, our attitude and desire to obey them is crucial.
Song of Solomon 2:14 NKJV
14 “O
my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your [a]face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”
Isaiah 42:1-4 NKJV
42 “Behold! My
Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect
One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [b]smoking
flax He will not [c]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
“As He Is So Are We In
This World…”
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