More Bible. Less Lies. 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Conference interview musician = relig, legalistic, non-relat, cheerless, weaponize Bible
- People/Places/Things
FEAR BONDS: burden giving, anxiety, hopelessness, longing for control
JOY BONDS: burden lifting, peace, hope, surrendering to God’s control
A. internal experience “gladness, cheerfulness, take pleasure in, be glad”
B. outward expression “rejoice, shout for joy, cry out, celebrate, delight, praise, boast, exult”
- God the Father is over me/us
- God the Son went before me/us
- God the Spirit goes with me/us & promises to get me HOME!
Joy bonds with the Bible
1 Thessalonians 2:13,19-20 we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers…For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
What are the Scriptures? (my story)
=66 books -OT = before Jesus (39) -NT = after Jesus (27)
- Scripture = “writing”; Bible = “book”; Holy Bible = Holy Book
- Library (history, sermons, letters, songs, architecture, travel diaries, family trees, legal)
- Written over 1500 years, roughly 40 authors, 3 languages
- Multicultural – writers Asia, Africa, Europe
- 1200’s – chapters added 1500s’s – verses added (31,173)
Many Human Authors
-David, Moses, Joshua, Solomon, Neh, Daniel, Ezek, Jere, Isaiah, Hab, Paul, Peter, Luke
2 Peter 3:15-16 “our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters…There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”
One Divine Author
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
- “thus says the Lord” = 100’s of times
- Other statements = 3,800 X OT
- Bible is the only book that Author meets w/you when you read it
- Bible is the only book that reads you as you read it
Heb. 4:12 the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Why are there different Bible translations?
- Word-for-Word (ESV, KJV, NKJV, NASB) =history, legal, measurements, $
- Thought-for-Thought (NIV, NLT, CEV) = poetry
- Paraphrase (Message, Living, Amplified, Voice) = songs
- Corruption (New World)
– Scribal process – 97-99% NT original Greek, no major doctrine (punctuation/spelling)
– 1947 Dead Sea Scrolls – 40k ancient inscriptions, parts of OT & complete copy Isaiah
What does Jesus say about the Scriptures?
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
· Accepted & taught the OT canon (rabbi)
· Authors = Moses (Mk. 7:10), Isaiah (Mk. 7:6) David (Mk. 12:36), Daniel (Matt. 24:15)
· Believed – Creation (Lk 11:51), Noah (Mt. 24:37–39), Jonah (Mt. 12:40) Adam/Eve (Mk 10:6-7)
· Appealed to – “it is written” over 2 dozen X
· Quoted – Ps. 22:1 “My God…”, & Ps. 31:5 “into your hands…”
= “fulfilled”
How do you interpret the Bible?
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God…
- Bible is for you, but about God (#1. Who is God? #2. Who am I?)
John 5:38-39 [Jesus said] you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…
- The Bible is for relationship, not religion
- The Bible is a mirror for you before it’s binoculars for them (religious)
- If you know the Bible but don’t have the Holy Spirit you can end up like Satan
-Jesus OT: walked Abr; wrestle Jacob; Moses Burn Bush; fire Dan friends, revealed Isaiah
-Types: Priests, Prophets, Kings, Shepherds, Judges, Sacrifices, Rabbis, Temple, Jacob’s Ladder, 1st/LastAdam – sinned in garden/bled for sin in garden, sinned @ tree/atoned for sin on tree, naked unashamed/naked & bore our shame, brought thorns/wore crown thorns
-Jesus killed Abel, left home Abr, carried wood lay down life Isaac, wrestled Jacob, betrayed bros Joseph, liberator Moses, suffered Job, King/Shep David, 3 days Jonah
-OT Prophecies
1).Bible tells us what always happens. 2).We look through the Bible to our life & world
? What happens when God’s word is proclaimed & HS shows up? = Church
Joy bonds with the church
1Thessalonians 2:14-20 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
2 Thess. 2:13 received as “the word of God” not “the word of men”
Genesis 1 = 10 X “God said” = Creation & Church preached into existence (2 ch plant stories)
1 World – flesh/demonic =attack church “suffered”; “killed”, “drove us out” “Satan hindered”
2 -Church – IN Spirit UNDER WORD
BAND UP
•Members of God’s family “the church” (1:1)
•Recipients of “grace…and peace” (1:1)
•Adopted into God’s family “loved by God…he has chosen you” (1:4)
•Relationally treasured as “very dear” (2:8)
•People who have “received the word of God” (2:13)
•People who for their faith in Christ have “suffered” (2:14)
•Beloved by church leaders as “our glory and joy” (2:20)
•Unlike the world, people “taught by God to love one another” (4:9)
•Taken by God into the light so you are “not in darkness” (5:4)
•Eternally “not destined…for wrath, but to obtain salvation” (5:9)
