The Story Of The Bible Series

The Story of The Bible

#UnderstandingTheBible

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Good morning MGCC!

Welcome to week 2 of our series, ‘Understanding The Bible.’

A series that has 2 primary goals…

Goal #1 – To take a look at the overwhelming evidence that demonstrates (contrary to the onslaughts of modern culture) that The Bible is not just another book or mere ink on paper, but that it really is from God, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Goal #2 – Motivate, encourage, challenge and inspire people to read the Bible like never before… because it is from God and because in this series they will be given tools and principles that will equip them to understand it better.

MAN – I hope that you will be one of those who will be motivated, challenged, encouraged and inspired… to read the bible like never before.

NOW – last week we talked about…

HOW – if a non-contingent, uncaused by anything else, self-sufficient, self-reliant, all-powerful, intelligent, always existing, unique, good & moral God who loves us were to write a book – that it would be the most amazing book ever written…

B/S – I stand before you today and without any doubt whatsoever in my mind declare to that the bible is that book and that you can trust what it says…

UNDERSTAND – the bible is…

• Unique (in a class of it’s own),

• Accurate (we could trust what it says)

• Supernatural (it would know some stuff that only God could know)… and it would be

• Transforming (it would radically change the lives of people).

IF – you missed last week message I can not encourage you enough to check it out online…

OKAY – let’s do this…

Week 2… AND – a conversation called, Understanding The Bible…

NOW- I want to kick off our time together this morning with 3 passages of Scripture…

One from the OT, one from the Gospels and one from the NT.

The first is from Isaiah chapter 9 which was written to God’s people when they were going through some very dark and difficult times… (ever been there?)

AND THESE WORDS – were especially addressed to those from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali who lived around the region of the Sea of Galilee…

AGAIN – things are rough, times are dark, the outlook is gloomy…

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.

Amen! Now, some of you needed this morning.

The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

YEAH – darkness and despair will end… but His greatness and peace will not.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

– Isaiah 9:2,6-7

THE NEXT – passage is from the Gospels, John chapter 1.

NOW – I am sure that they are very familiar words to most of us…

BUT NEVERTHELESS – they are still so beautiful and powerful.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 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...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:1-5, 14

HEY

DID YOU CATCH – that John is declaring that the ‘filled with glory’ and ‘end of darkness’ thing that God promised His people through the prophet Isaiah 700 years earlier… is fulfilled?

The light has come… and now his glory fills the earth.

B/S – God always keeps His promises…. (R/L)

NOW – for the final passage.

AND LISTEN – these are some words that Paul wrote in his first letter to the church in Thessalonica… in 50 AD.

Words that have encouraged believers have read these words during the last 1968 years or 718,320 days….