A BIBLICAL JOURNEY
THE BIBLE
This morning I want to speak to you about the Bible. I want you to know that you can have complete confidence in this Bible. Men and Women have laid down their life so that you may open and study this Bible with confidence. And I want to encourage you to be the Church that God wants you to be, by spending time getting to know Gods word.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Bible was written by 40 authors, over a span of 1400 years.
This morning we are going to take a Biblical Journey from Genisis to Revelation in order to help you better understand, there is a scarlet thread that weaves it way from the begining of the Old Testament to the end of the New testament.
ALL ABOARD !
As we board our tour bus this morning our first stop will be at Gen 22: 6-8 in “The Land of Moriah” .
Our story begins with a young boy tugging on the coat sleeve of his Father. And little did Abraham know that his answer would reverberate through the corridors of time and eternity.
7. Isaac said, "Father?” Yes, my son," Abraham replied.” We have the wood and the fire," said the boy, "but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" 8. "God will provide a lamb, my son," Abraham answered. And they both went on together. NLT
Here we see a parallel between Isaac & Jesus;
Isaac was taken outside the place where he lived; he carried his own wood for the sacrifice. He was to be the sacrifice.
Jesus was taken outside the City, he carried his own cross, and he was the
Sacrifice. (John 17:19)
Just a quick note while we are stopped here. This is believed by scholars to be the same spot where David bought the threshing floor, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, and on this spot Solomon built the Temple. Today, the Dome of the rock is on this piece of ground.
As we get back on our tour bus this morning our next stop is at Exodus 12.
Here is the story of the Lord’s Passover.
We all know the story of the Passover, but I want you to pay special attention to verse 7.
7. They are to take some of the lamb’s blood and smear it on the top and sides of the doorframe of the house where the lamb will be eaten. NLT
Here deep in the recess of the Old Testament is the blood of the lamb in the form of a cross for the salvation of God’s people.
As we get back on our tour bus this morning our next stop is at Exodus 13.
This is the story of the dedication of the first Born.
Look now in verse 13.
13. A firstborn male donkey may be redeemed from the LORD by presenting a lamb in its place. But if you decide not to make the exchange, the donkey must be killed by breaking its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn son.NLT
Fielding said “examples appeal to the mind more that percepts” with that in mind I want to stop and expand on this story.
The children are in the barn yard, and they are all excited a little male donkey was just born in the middle of the night. They are petting it, it is warm and fuzzy. They are trying to decide what to name it. Then they hear the screen door shut on the back porch of the farm house, and they see Dad walking down to the barnyard, he has a very stern look on his face. He says to the children “you kids know the law; the firstborn male donkey must have his neck broken, except it be redeemed by a lamb. I have to break its neck, and kill it. The youngest boy says “Wait a minute daddy,” and he runs into the barn and he comes out carrying his pet lamb. With tears running down his face, he walks up to his dad and says “Here daddy, take my lamb, save the donkey”.
Deep in the Old Testament is the redemption story. The Lamb being Christ, the Donkey being mankind.
Our last stop on the tour of the Old testament is at Exodus 16:
Here is the story of the Children of Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
Look at verse 31.
31. In time, the food became known as manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey cakes.NLT
Here in the Old Testament we have bread (Manna) coming down from heaven literally “the bread of Life’ for the children of Israel.
As we get back on our tour bus we are going to stop at the new testament our next stop is at Luke 2: 11
This is the story of the birth of Christ
God choose an obscure little village in Israel called Bethlehem as his entry point into the human race. It is interesting to note that Bethlehem means “House of Bread” in the Hebrew language. (Beth meaning house lehem meaning bread)
We are almost finished with our tour this morning, but I want us to go to John 6:48
48. "I assure you, anyone who believes in me already has eternal life.
Yes, I am the bread of life! 49. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died 50. However, the bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it. 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live.NLT
In John 19:30 we see Jesus, the Lamb of God offered as a sacrifice for the entire world.(This was just as Abraham predicted back in Genisis 22)
28. Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, "I am thirsty." 29. A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.NLT
In I Corinthians he is our Passover lamb
In I peter he is the lamb without spot or blemish.
AND FINALLY, IN REVELATION HE IS OUR SOON COMING KING
So we see this scarlet thread woven all the way through the Bible tying it all together.
IN SUMMARY
40 Men, 1400 years.
For everyone in this room, there will come a point in your life when tomorrow will start without you, and you will come face to face with forever. You can be a good person, you can cut all the grass on the church House lawn, you can wash every dish in the church kitchen, and you can clean all the bathrooms in the church, But if you have never accepted Christ into your heart and gave your life to him you are lost this morning without God and without hope.
You would never leave this state to go on vacation without a road map, why would you go into eternity without one?
Altar call for those who would accept Christ.
