Did the Scripture produce the church, or the church the Scripture?

Through the centuries of Christian history, the church had always accepted the Bible as infallible and binding, until the Reformation. Then the Reformers’ Scripture principle, that belief was to be based on Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura), challenged the authority of the Roman church to define faith and morals. 

Roman Catholics immediately began to claim that the New Testament derived its authority from the fact that the church had officially recognized it; the Protestants replied that the church was only acknowledging the authority inherent in the Scriptures in consequence of their divine inspiration. 

-Harold O.J. Brown

Essentials for True Ministry By Warren Wiersbe

You cannot read these verses in Isaiah chapter 50 without seeing in them a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Suffering Servant. Our salvation is not dependent on our following His example of perfect sacrifice, but on trusting Him and the work He did for us on the cross.

However, in our service for the Lord, we can find encouragement and strength as we meditate on Christ’s example as the Servant of God. Let us notice several essentials for ministry that are revealed in the life and service of Jesus Christ.

An open ear (v. 4a-5). The image here is that of a servant, rising early in the morning to receive his master's orders. Jesus arose very early in the morning and went out to a solitary place to pray (Mark 1:35). We get the impression that this was his usual practice that he opened each day in fellowship with the Father.

How important it is for each of us to begin every day with the Lord! We can never serve Him acceptably unless we spend time alone with Him, listening to His Word, praying, and worshiping Him. A disciplined devotional life is essential for spiritual leadership.

The psalmist said, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word” (Ps. 119:147, NIV). If the perfect Son of God had to take time to meet with the Father, how much more do you and I need that daily “quiet time”?

A ready tongue (v. 4a). The “tongue of the learned” means an “instructed” tongue, one that knows what to say. Of course, what the tongue says comes from the heart (Matt. 12:35), so the source of a learned tongue is an instructed heart, one that readily receives the Word of God.

We never know when we will be called upon to give counsel or direction to others, and we must be ready. In our business meetings as church leaders, we must be careful to share “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17) and not the wisdom of the world. If we “walk in the counsel of the ungodly,” we will soon be standing with sinners and sitting with the scornful (Ps. 1:1).

James reminds us (3:1-12) that the tongue is a small member of the body, but it carries a great deal of power.

It can be a fire that destroys or a fire that releases warmth and power. It is like a bit and bridle on a horse, or a rudder on a ship, it helps to steer things in either the right or the wrong direction. We must take care that the words we speak do not get us on a dangerous detour.

A surrendered will (v. 5b-6a). The picture here is not a very pretty one, for we see Jesus giving his body to be abused by his captors. It was for us that he was scourged, and it was for us that he was humiliated and hurt. How we ought to bow in love and worship as we contemplate what the Lord willingly endured for us!

Jesus’ body was totally yielded to the Father because his will was totally yielded. Yes, though it meant suffering and shame, he bore it willingly. “I delight to do Your will, O my God...” (Ps. 40:8). It is not likely that you and I will be called upon to bare our backs to the lash, but we ought to have that kind of surrender and obedience in our hearts.

There is a price to pay for godly leadership. People may not scourge us with whips; they may use their tongues instead! If we are surrendered to the Lord, such suffering will not stop us from serving. As leaders in his church, we must be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” (1^st Cor. 15:58).

A set face (v. 7). The Lord “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Think of what was waiting for Jesus there, rejection, arrest, shame, suffering and death on a cross! You and I probably would have thought up several reasons for not going to Jerusalem, yet Jesus set his face “like flint” and obeyed the Father's will.

Dedication and determination are inseparable. There are all kinds of subtle forces that would seek to move us from the course God has set for us. Once we have discovered the Father’s will, we must do it, no matter what others say or do.

When we have these characteristics, we can be sure that the Lord will help our ministry and that we will not be ashamed (v. 7). Why? Because the more we are like Jesus Christ, the easier it is for the Father to bless us and use us for his glory!

The 7 major worldviews in history.

I. So how can we define what a true religious system is?

         A. First we must define who God is.

         B. Lets look at the 7 major world views in history.

                  1. Atheism - Humanist, Secular Humanism; Atheism is the world without a need for God.

                           a. Nietzsche says God died. We don’t need God anymore. Man is now the measure.

Former Atheist Francis Collins - “Why would such a universal and uniquely human hunger [for God] exist, if it were not connected to some opportunity for fulfillment?

                  2. Finite godism - God is beyond the world, but is limited in power or perfection.

                  3. Pantheism - the world is made up of God; is not a world without God.

                           a. It is not a world of not knowing God, but a world that is made up of God.

                           b. God is in everything.

                           c. Buddhism - some forms of Hinduism and Taoism teaches that everything has God’s stuff.

                           d. It is as if God took parts of Himself and created the world.

                           e. This is why they respect the animals; they have souls because they were created by God.

                  4. Panentheism –  says God is in the universe as a mind is in a body, the universe is God’s body.

                           a. But there’s another pole to God other than the actual physical universe.

For this reason, Panentheism is also called bipolar theism. This other pool is God’s eternal and infinite potential beyond the actual physical universe. And since Panentheism hold that God is in the constant process of changing, it is also known as process theology.

                           b. This the view of Neo-orthodox, Open-theism, Neo-theism and or the Emergent Church.

                           c. This is the view that has come into the church.

                           d. So when we study the attributes, we will be dealing a lot to refute this view.

                  5. Polytheism - the belief in or worship of more than one god.

                           a. The polytheist denies any infinite God beyond the world, however the gods are active in the world today.

                  6. Deism - is a God that created the world, but then does not  interfere with His creation in any way.

                           a. It is a world with an absent God.

                           b. It says God can do big miracles (create the world) 

                            c. But God can’t do small miracles like turn water into wine or  add bread or fish to a basket.

Norman Geisler says that deism is theism minus miracles. Deism says that God is uninterested, a God that created it, but just walked away.

                  7. Theism - God has a world, and has an intimate, infinite and loving God.

                           a. Theism says that not only is God important, 

                            b. But that God cares and is very much interested in us, invested in us and cares about our being.

         C. If theism is true, then all the other six forms of non-theism are false.

                  1. God cannot be both infinite and finite.

                  2. God cannot be personal and impersonal.

                  3. God cannot be beyond the universe and not beyond the universe.

                  4. Perform miracles and not able to perform miracles.

                  5. God cannot be unchanging and changing.

“Fellowship with God.”

As Christians, we know we are born again because we have confessed Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and now as a Christian, what does God require of us? First we know we are saved by grace and that our salvation is not based on works.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 the bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” But remember as a Christian, God has first and foremost called us to have fellowship with Him.

The word for “fellowship” in the Greek is “Koinonia” and it means when talking with God, it will be in “communion, and to communicate with someone in a personal and intimate relationship.”

Yet as the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:1-3 - I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

So how do I have a walk that is worthy of the Lord so that I can be blessed in all I do?  So as a Christian, there are 4 things that God calls each Christian to do to grow in our relationship with Him and to have a blessed walk.

I. We need to Pray daily.

Prayer is one of the most blessed acts before God that we can do. First it puts me before the throne of God, and second it puts me in my proper position before God, and that I need Him and that He is greater then I, so I can worship and praise God the way that God would want me too. Also it allows me to speak to God and as I give my needs to God, I can see God working in my life by Him answering my prayers.

Psalms 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

II. We need to read our bible daily.

By reading the bible, the Lord reveals Himself to us. Also the bible teaches that we get faith from reading God’s word. Also we can discover God’s will for my life and last is that God will speak to us from His word.    

                      

Psalms 25:14 - The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

III. Go to church and fellowship.

God commands us to go to church and fellowship with people of the same mind. The church is the place where we grow in unity or one mind. It is the place where we can live out our faith and as we spend time in our church we become part of the church family.       

          

Ephesians 4:11-13 - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;    

    

IV. Be a light to everyone you come in contact with.

God has created us to discover His great love, to serve Him, and seek Him, and by doing these things, we can see God using our lives to be a light to others, and to be a blessing to people we come in contact with.

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THE END?

Jeremiah 5:30-31 A astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land;  31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and my people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end? 

Jeremiah was living in a time just like we are living in today. The bible teachers of today love to just entertain and preach a false massage of how to draw closer to God. The priest or the religious leaders do not hear from God or know what He is saying but love to collect money from the people, talk about how God is using them and live the high life and the people do not want to repent or be told how to humble themselves before the living and true God.

But the massage from Jeremiah at the end of the chapter is a warning to all who love to live without the word of God living in their lives, “what will you do in the end?”

Understand this, we can chose to run wild and be people who will not believe the word of God. We can chose to not want to be committed to Christ, or raise our kids in a Godly home. We can go to church but never hear what our pastors are saying. 

But we must remember what the bible says in Galatians 6:7-8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Wow, can you imagine living with yourselves when everything around you is falling apart, kids going crazy,  your spouse is rejecting you? Nobody believes or cares what you say because you lost your integrity and only because you failed to take heed to the word of God. 

I have seen so much guilt, sorrow and heart ache from these people who are so angry with themselves because they have rejected the word of God and now have to live with the consequences. 

Jeremiah was giving the people of his day a warning of what God will allow to happen to them because of their rejection of Him. Think about what God is saying to us today if we reject so great a salvation. 

Jer. 29:11-13  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12) Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hear you. 13) And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. 

When we read this promise that God gave to Jeremiah, and how God wanted to give to the people, if only they would have taken heed to God and His word and obeyed. This is also our promise if we will do the same?

What do you want? A future and a hope or what will you do in the end.

THE GOLDEN RULES OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

John Wycliffe 1324-1384 - It shall greatly help you to understand scripture, if you mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows after.

I. You cannot create doctrine from only one verse.

II. You cannot create doctrine without the study of all the verses related to the biblical subject you are studying.

III. New Testament doctrine always supersedes Old Testament doctrine.

IV.  You can have traditions, but you cannot have them supersede biblical          doctrines.

V. Always discern spiritual application from the physical application of scripture.

VI. You cannot create doctrine solely from the Book of Acts.

VII. All 27 books of the New Testament were written to believers.

VIII. Take in account the historical and culture of the time of the writings to          create doctrine.

IX. New revelation taught in the Epistles that have no contradictions from any of the other epistles?

X. You cannot allow your experience to interpret the scriptures. You need to let the scriptures interpret your experience.

XI. Know what is going on before and after your text.

This is a must when you are going to study scripture: (1) Did Jesus practice an act or did He teach it. (2) Was it practiced or taught in the book of Acts. (3) Was it taught in any of the Epistles.

GOD IS OMNISCIENT

Chuck Smith - The Bible is full of miracles and probably the most awesome is found in the first verse. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If you believe that, you shouldn't have any trouble with the rest of the Bible. An omnipotent God, big enough to fashion the entire universe, is then big enough to do anything.

God Became a Man

 People have lots of ideas about what God is like. The Hindus says, “God must be loving, God is charity, and God is gentle. Therefore, "He must be a cow.” The American Indians, watching an eagle soar endlessly and majestically upon the wind currents, says, “God is an eagle.” The ancient Egyptians see the awesome power of the sun and say, “God is Ra, God is the sun.” Each culture speaks a partial truth, but all miss the total picture because they're blind. And so was all of humanity. So what did God do? God became a Man and dwelt among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

THE CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS

My son came home from school one day, A smirk was on his face.

He'd decided he was smart enough To put me in my place.

MY SON SAID:

Guess what I learned in Civics Two, That's taught by Mr. Wright?

It's all about the laws today: THE CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS.

IT SAYS:

I don't have to clean my room, Don't have to cut my hair.

No one can tell me what to think, How to speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom FROM religion, And regardless what you say,

I don't have to bow my head, And I sure DON'T HAVE TO PRAY.

I can wear earrings if I want, And pierce my tongue & nose.

I can read & watch just what I like, Be tattooed from head to toes.

AND if you ever spank me, I'll charge you with the crime,

I'll back up all my charges, With the marks on my behind.

AND MY SON SAID:

Don't you ever touch me, This body's for MY use,

Not for your hugs and kisses, That's just more child abuse.

HE CONTINUED WITH:

Don't preach about your morals, Like your mama did to you.

That's nothing but your mind control, And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights, So you can't influence me,

Or I'll call Children's Services, Better known as C.S.D.

MY TURN!

Well, of course, my natural instinct Was to toss him out the door.

But the chance to teach a lesson, Made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully, I couldn't let this go.

A little smile crept to my face... He was messing with a pro!

AND AWAY WE GO!

Next day I took him shopping, At the local Good Will store,

I told him, "pick out all you want! There are shirts & pants galore."

I've called and checked with C.S.D., They said they didn't care,

If I bought you K-Mart shoes, Instead of Nike Airs.

OH! And...

I've canceled that appointment To take your driver's test.

The C.S.D. is unconcerned, So I'll decide what's best.

I SAID:

No time to stop and eat, Or pick up stuff to munch,

And tomorrow you can start to learn To make your own sack lunch.

Just save that raging appetite, And wait 'til dinner time.

We're having liver and onions. It's a favorite dish of mine.

He ASKED:

Can we stop to rent a movie, So I can watch the VCR?

Sorry, I said, I sold your TV, For new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room, You can take the couch instead.

The C.S.D. requires just a roof above your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now, I'll choose the food we eat,

That allowance that you used to get Will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski, Dirt-bike & roller blades.

Check out the PARENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS, It's in effect today! 

Hey, Hot Shot, are you crying? Why are you on your knees?

Are you asking God to help you? ....GO CALL THE C.S.D

Share this one with some Moms & Dads you know....or better yet some kids!!!

THE MODESTO MANIFESTO

Perhaps no other leading church figure of the past 50 years commands as much

admiration and respect from both the Christian and non-Christian world as does the Rev.

Billy Graham. While he has suffered some criticism over the years, no scandals have

rocked his ministry - and it has been intensely scrutinized.

One of the major reasons Reverend Graham and his associates have avoided pitfalls and

scandal goes back to November of 1948 and what took place in a hotel room in Modesto,

California. It was there The Modesto Manifesto was birthed.

Graham and his associates, Bev Shea, Grady Wilson, and Cliff Barrows, were just

starting to get involved in evangelistic meetings. At the time, many traveling evangelists

were crossing the country.

 And a number fell to scandals - moral, ethical and financial.

In a desire to see their ministry remain above scandal, the men met to discuss the

problems evangelists faced. They came up with four problems to avoid and ways to

avoid them.

1. Money

It was common practice among evangelists to put a lot of emotion and flourish into

taking love offerings. This could bring unnecessary criticism - and temptation. The men

vowed not to emphasize the offering. To avoid criticism they would always have the

local campaign committees oversee the offerings and disbursements of funds - they

would accept a straight salary regardless of how high the offerings were.

2. Immorality

Religious leaders especially those who traveled were regularly falling to this temptation.

The men agreed continually to pray for God to guard them from it. They also set up

some rules to follow. They would never allow themselves to be alone with women -

lunches, counseling sessions, or rides to auditoriums or airports. And they would always

get their hotel rooms close together as another safeguard.

3. Exaggeration

The phrase evangelistically speaking has been coined to label exaggerated figures of the

number attending meetings or the number saved. The men vowed not to fall to this

practice. If numbers were mentioned they were the ones generated by the local police,

fire departments, or arena managers.

4. Criticism

Often evangelists would criticize local pastors and churches from pulpits. The men

vowed not to do this, nor would they ever criticize pastors who openly criticized them.

(Discipleship Journal, Issue 84, Nov/Dec 1994, Page 45)

Dr. Norman Geisler on knowing the truth about God.

Dr. Norman Geisler – But there is no way to recognize error unless we know the truth: counterfeits cannot be detected unless we know the genuine article.  Likewise, there is no way to determine what is false about God unless we know what is true about Him.