We Believe The Bible Series

America has had a long history with the Bible. One of the more enlightening examples from our nation’s past is Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the US. Jefferson regularly read the Bible. He revered Jesus as a reformer and moral example. Yet he did not see Jesus as His Savior. Nor did he believe that the miracles attributed to Jesus were more than pious exaggerations. As a result, Jefferson used scissors and razor to excise from his New Testament the corruptions that he believed its writers had placed upon the original teachings of Jesus. Because Jefferson’s God was a God of reason, not of irrationality, Jefferson removed from the gospels anything that appeared unreasonable. The sage of Monticello cut out the prophecies and miracle stories and focused instead on Jesus’ ethical teachings and parables. His edited version of the New Testament ends with the death of Jesus.

Against the backdrop of America’s history with the Bible, we continue a series of messages entitled Creed: 9 Essentials to the Christian Faith. We are exploring the beliefs that form the theological center of Christianity. Each of these beliefs are lynchpins to the Christian faith, so that if you were to remove one of them you would see the Christian faith crumble. Much like the spine serves as the center of the human anatomy, there are fundamental beliefs that serve the Christian faith as its strength. This morning as we celebrate our nation, I want devote our time to a story where the lines of Patriotism and God’s Word intersect. I want to direct your attention to third essential belief, “We Believe in the Bible.”

This series, Creed, is designed to identify the “bottom-line” of Christianity’s central concerns for both believers and non-believer’s alike. The reason for this series is that beliefs matter. Beliefs fundamentally alter the shape of our lives.

Last week, I asked: Why Do Your Beliefs Matter? And I gave quickly named four reasons why your beliefs matter.

1. Beliefs Matter to God (June 24)

2. Beliefs Matter to Your Church Family

3. Beliefs Matter to Your Family (June 17)

4. Beliefs Matter to You

Beliefs Matter to Your Church Family

Today’s Scripture

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him. 5 And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am banned from going to the house of the Lord, 6 so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord's house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. 7 It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the Lord, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” 8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord's house.

9 In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord. 10 Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house.

11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the king's house, into the secretary's chamber, and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials. 13 And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. 15 And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” 18 Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.”