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Scripture: Bibliology · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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My name is Daniel Swanson. I got to teach here a little bit last year.
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! It was so much fun, and I really learned a lot.
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So it's kind of cool to dig into Scripture, dig into what other people are saying,
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and to kind of approach you guys and be like, okay, this is what I've learned.
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So, what do we mean Nathan came up here and said, we're talking about bibliology tonight?
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There's really like five things that goes under that when we talk about bibliology.
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We say that we're talking about the authority of Scripture, the inerrancy of Scripture,
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the clarity of Scripture, the sufficiency of Scripture, and the necessity of Scripture.
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Don't be intimidated by those words. Those are like kind of long and lengthy,
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and the reason why is because there's more than three syllables. That's why.
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The two pitfalls that you could really fall into when you hear that is, okay,
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it's time for me to check out I'm smarter than you because I can say words and I know what they mean or whatever.
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You know, this is boring theology because words like this, like authority or sufficiency or inerrancy,
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whatever these words, you know, they're just kind of lengthy, and I think that's why we get intimidated.
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An example of that is, has anyone here been to like a UGA graduation or a Georgia Tech graduation?
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Okay, so a couple things that happens is there's this thing that there's like this phenomenon that happens
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when the whole crowd is listening as they're calling up the degrees and like,
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here comes James Hood with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Engineering.
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And like the whole crowd goes, ooh.
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Ooh.
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Or, here's one from Georgia Tech, a Master of Science in Quantitative and Computational Finance.
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And finally, a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering.
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Which, I mean, you could sum up all those different degrees in different ways,
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but they just sound really smart, and they are.
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But why do we use big words so that we can understand principles of Scripture?
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So these words are important.
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So I'm going to explain them real quickly what we're going to be talking about tonight.
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So when I say God's authority, so the authority of Scripture,
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what I say and what Christ's family affirms is that we're saying,
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we believe that the Bible is our highest guide and truth.
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The second one, you don't have to write all these down.
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I'm going to kind of come back to them.
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We say the inerrancy.
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We say it's completely free from error or fault.
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And then clarity.
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We say we believe that the Bible is able to be understood by everyone regardless of your intellect or social standing.
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Fill in the rest.
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The necessity of the Bible.
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We believe that the Bible is necessary to know God, His salvation, and His will.
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Sufficiency.
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We have everything we need to know about godly living from the Bible,
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and nothing is absent from it that we need to know.
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So does that make sense?
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Like head nods.
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Like what we just said, those words, okay?
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This is what we're talking about tonight.
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Those are big claims when you think about it.
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What other book do you know makes those claims?
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Not many.
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What's a bigger claim is if those claims are actually true, right?
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Like it's a big deal.
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Those are bold and I would say audacious claims.
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But if the Bible is correct and the Bible is all those things,
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then man, the Bible should be anything but mild.
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It should be anything but another book that we have on our coffee table.
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So what are my goals for tonight?
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Where do I want to see us going?
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I really hope that after tonight we walk away,
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every single person here walks away swelled up with joy
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because of your passion and love for the Word.
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Maybe for some of us that's brand new.
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Maybe for some of us that's renewed.
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Maybe you've come in here and you've been to Bible studies.
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You've participated in Bible studies on campus or whatever is in your own time,
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reading books or reading Scripture over and over again.
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But it's run dry.
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I pray that tonight you really walk away renewed.
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And if you've viewed the Bible as something that is just another book,
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that tonight your view of it would be raised.
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That we would look at the Bible as something completely unlike any other book that we have.
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You know, I hope that the foundations of your faith are solidified
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so that your confidence in the Word increases.
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So when we're taking this Word and we're talking to people
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and we're saying why it's so important for you to follow the Word
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and for you to know Christ
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is because our confidence in that the Bible is inerrant,
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just as one example, is so true.
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And we know that in our hearts.
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And I'm like, yes, I know that this book,
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and Clay kind of talked about that last week.
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You know, what we're saying when we say that it's inerrant,
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that man didn't bring in his faults
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and he didn't bring in his mistakes
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and all the things that we do into this book.
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Like, that's a big claim.
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Finally, I hope that you leave tonight with a craving to read
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and to study the Word
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because you realize that it's important as your daily food.
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Like, I mean, like if you've ever gotten to that point
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when you're so hungry that you get hangry.
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Does anyone know what I mean by that?
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Like, you get so, you're like,
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do not talk to me right now.
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I'm starving.
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Like, last night we were at community group
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and I did not say a word.
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I was so hungry.
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And I just can't, like, I don't have the energy to, like, say anything.
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So some people, I get angry too,
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but I mean, like, I'll just shut up.
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So, but that's what I'm saying is that, you know,
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that when you go through a day and you're like,
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man, I have not spent good time on the Word.
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I haven't meditated on the Word.
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And it hasn't meant anything to me today.
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And it makes all these claims to do so.
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And I haven't done that.
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And because of that, I feel so empty.
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And then even when you talk to not, like, I mean,
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you'll talk to non-believers and you say that, like,
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hey, you know, Wes, how are you doing today?
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Dude, I feel so weird.
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I haven't gotten in the Word at all.
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Like, I haven't actually spent quality time in the Word.
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And that's, like, a reality of our life.
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It's not Christian lingo that we just, you know,
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say to other people.
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But it's truth.
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So that's the direction that we're going for tonight.
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And I pray, I've been praying that the Holy Spirit would come
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and, you know, do all those things.
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Because I can't persuade you.
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Clay can't persuade you.
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None of us can say enough to have that joy for the Word,
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to have that reverence for the Word.
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Like, we need more than anything right now, right?
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That the Holy Spirit would come and teach our hearts
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and would open our hearts to receive this truth.
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More than anything.
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So, the text that we just read, 2 Timothy 3.14,
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I'm going to kind of address these things that we talked about
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as far as the authority and inerrancy, all those other things.
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We're going to, I really believe that a lot of that is found in this passage.
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And we're going to go through this passage.
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We're going to find those different things.
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I'm going to talk about it for a second.
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And then we're going to kind of go in a little bit of a similar direction
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at the end of the night.
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So, picking up in verse 14.
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So, he says,
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But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
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knowing from whom you have learned it,
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and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings,
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which are able to make you wise for salvation in Christ Jesus.
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Okay, let's stop right there.
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Before we even go any further.
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There are two things that Paul does.
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The first thing is Paul kind of really addresses the clarity of Scripture, right?
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Let's look at this text.
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He says, okay, Timothy, like the things that you've learned from when you were younger,
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from childhood that you've been acquainted with,
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these things are going to make you wise for salvation.
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He says childhood.
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And I think there's different debates on it as far as how old Timothy is.
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But regardless, we still know that he says, okay, when you were a young kid,
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you were familiar with these writings.
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And you were able to understand them.
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Which is kind of a crazy statement.
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Because when I was a child,
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I was dressing up like Robin Hood
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and running around the house with a blanket over my head,
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chasing my brothers and going to the ER multiple, multiple times.
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And Paul is saying that in the midst of all that,
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in the midst of all that craziness,
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and I've got my mind on a million other things,
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you're still able as a child to understand this?
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Like, that's a crazy statement.
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You know, how often when we're reading the Word
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and we come upon like a bit of hard truth,
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like a bit of Scripture that's like,
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whoa, that's confusing.
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What in the world does he mean by that?
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Has anyone encountered those verses?
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Head nods.
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Can I get an amen or something?
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Okay.
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So, we come across those hard verses, right?
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And then, a question I'd really like to ask you,
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because I want your wheels to start turning tonight.
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And so you just start thinking critically,
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not me just telling you things.
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That's the most important thing,
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is that you're thinking for yourself tonight.
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But, my question to you is,
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when you do come across those Scriptures,
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there's a couple responses,
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but one of the ones that are most likely
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is that we read it,
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we're like, oh, that's confusing,
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I might read it one more time,
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now I'm going to go straight to a commentary
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and see what some other dude says about that text.
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Instead of saying, okay,
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what do I know about Scripture to be true?
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What other references do I have in Scripture
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to look this up?
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Am I praying over Scripture?
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Am I trying to understand this?
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Are we just so quick to go to other commentaries
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or read other books on that subject?
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Like, yeah, there's confusion over Scripture.
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Like, sometimes it can be a little hazy
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and hard to understand.
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But I would actually say that's a good thing, right?
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We're talking about the complexity of Scripture.
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And Jesus, you know,
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oftentimes, if you've read the Gospels,
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Jesus oftentimes,
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whenever there's someone that comes up and they're like,
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I don't understand this,
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or he's correcting the Pharisees,
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he says over and over again,
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have you not read?
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Have you not understood?
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Has it not been told to you from long ago?
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He says that over at least a dozen times.
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So he's constantly saying,
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okay, the problem with your misunderstanding of Scripture
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isn't with the Scripture,
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but it's with you
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because you're not understanding it correctly.
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I want to read to you a quote
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by a guy named Brian McLaren.
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This is on the complexity of Scripture.
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He says,
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okay,
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if God wants the Bible to be a book
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that interests and challenges people around the globe
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for their whole lives,
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that guides them into life's deep mysteries,
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that trains us to see the world
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from diverse points of view,
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and in so doing,
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stretches us not to be so limited
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by our inherited point of view,
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then of course,
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it can't be like a phone book,
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a government code,
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a high school biology textbook,
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easy reference,
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fully indexed,
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conveniently formatted
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for a quick and easy use.
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Nor can it be one red book
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after which we say,
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the Bible?
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Oh yes,
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I've read that years ago,
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implying that we'll never need to look at it
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or think about it ever again.
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If God wants the book
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to be an authentic medium
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for spiritual enlightenment
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and instruction,
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then how can it be a book
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that we fully grasp,
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have control over,
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take pride in our knowledge of,
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and feel competent
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in our regards to?
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Mustn't it be an untamed book
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that humbles us,
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that entices us,
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higher up and deeper in,
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that renders us children
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rather than experts,
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that will soon master us
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before we master it?
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Is that quote
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kind of registering with you guys?
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Thinking about,
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okay, yeah,
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scripture is really complex,
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definitely.
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But,
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I think that's a good thing
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because we serve a complex God.
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You probably don't live
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a nice, neat life.
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You probably live a very messy life
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like I do
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where you have,
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you know,
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heartbreaks here,
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failures here,
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successes there,
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confusing times there.
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And the Bible,
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like,
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kind of goes along
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with that same pattern.
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Like,
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it's not this easily
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formatted book
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that we can fully grasp
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just upon reading it once.
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And I would say that the word
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is remarkable
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because it's simple enough
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to be understood
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by a child
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yet complex enough
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to be studied by a scholar
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and has the ability
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to make that scholar
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feel like a child.
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Paul also kind of says
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in this text,
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like,
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going on,
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so he says,
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you know,
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you were acquainted with it
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from childhood.
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And then he says
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that it's sacred writings.
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So,
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so Paul is
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immediately doing something
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and he's taking it
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off the list
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of the New York Times
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bestseller list
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and he's putting it
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in this completely
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different category,
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right?
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Like,
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this isn't,
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this isn't,
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you know,
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up there with
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how to win friends
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and influence people.
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Like,
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this is a completely
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different book of its own.
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The second thing
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that Paul does
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in this text
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is he points out
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the sufficiency
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of scripture.
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So,
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he says,
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but as for you,
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continue on what you have
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learned and have firmly
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believed,
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knowing from whom
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you learned it
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and how from childhood
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you have been acquainted
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with the sacred writings,
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which are able to make you
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wise for salvation
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through faith in Christ Jesus.
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You know,
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like,
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the big question
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that comes behind
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sufficiency
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of scripture being
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sufficient for us
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is the question of
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is scripture enough
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for us to know
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what God wants us
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to think or do?
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I'm actually going to have
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a little bit of participation.
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Can I have someone
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turn to Proverbs 30
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and read verses 5 and 6?
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Yeah.
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There we go.
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That's it.
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Yeah,
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that'd be great.
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Okay.
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That's such
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such a big claim.
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He says,
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every word of God
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proves true.
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He says,
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he's a shield
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to those who take
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refuge in him.
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Such big claims there.
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I guess my question is,
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you know,
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scripture telling us,
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okay,
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don't add anything
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to this.
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You don't need
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anything else.
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Okay,
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scripture is enough.
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You know,
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it's kind of,
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there's kind of
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some bad signals
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that get sent.
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Sometimes that we think
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that in order to be
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a scholar of the word,
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to completely,
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fully understand the word,
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you need to go
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where?
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After college?
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Yes.
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Okay.
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I'm not saying it's bad,
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but I'm just saying
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that we kind of get
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in this mindset
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that the only way
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you can be a scholar,
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that if you have
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a real question,
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the person you go to
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is Nathan.
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And the thing is,
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is that,
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man,
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if you know anything
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about history
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and how the church
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kind of fell into
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this time of
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the pre-reformation,
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so we were becoming
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illiterate,
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or we were illiterate,
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and we were asking
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for other people
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to interpret scripture
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for ourselves.
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When the Bible
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is so bold enough
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to say,
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you read me
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and you interpret me
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for yourself,
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see if what I'm saying
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is true.
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And then,
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I mean,
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what other books
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can say that?
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You know,
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we have books
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like the Book of Mormon
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that has added
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on to scripture,
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or we have books
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like the Watchtower Bible,
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and it's adding on
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to that,
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taking away.
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You know,
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books that claim
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that the Bible,
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what they're really saying
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is that the Bible
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isn't enough to know
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what you need to know
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about salvation.
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That can go down
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to a million other things,
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too.
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Like,
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okay,
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what are those gray areas
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where God,
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you know,
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hasn't specifically
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told us about.
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But God's Word
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is saying,
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no,
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I've given you enough.
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I've told you
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exactly what you need
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to know.
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Do we approach it
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in that way?
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Moving right along
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to the second verse
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in 2 Timothy.
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So,
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picking up in
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verse 16,
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Paul says,
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all scripture
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is breathed out
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by God
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and profitable
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for teaching,
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for reproof,
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for correction,
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and for training
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in righteousness.
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righteousness.
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So,
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in right there,
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he's kind of saying,
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okay,
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scripture is breathed out
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by God.
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So,
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the word that we're
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using there
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is inerrant.
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We're saying that the word
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is free from error.
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That man hasn't
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added his own
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twist to scripture.
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That for his own
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advancement,
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he's added things.
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We say that
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this book is literally,
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it's the word of God.
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a really cool passage
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that I want to turn to
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because I don't have
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a ton of time
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to really go over
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all these things.
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But,
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I want you all
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to turn to
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numbers 23
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really quickly.
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Really quickly.
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Okay, so the situation while you guys are turning there,
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this is the Old Testament, so God's people, the nation of Israel,
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they're wandering through the wilderness.
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They haven't yet come into the Promised Land,
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and they're going through certain countries on their way to the Promised Land.
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And so they go through this certain area,
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and they ask this king named Balak if they can go through.
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And Balak says no, because he wants to wage war against them.
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So what Balak does is he consults this guy named Balaam,
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who's kind of a mystic of sorts.
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Balak is saying, okay, what I need you to do for me, Balaam,
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is curse the people of God.
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They've got all these victories, and I've seen them do a lot of things,
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but I need you to curse them so that there's some type of spiritual force that's applied here.
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And so Balaam gets a word from God where God says,
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no, the people of Israel that you think that you're about to curse,
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those are my people.
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And so Balaam tells Balak, the king,
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I can't curse God's people.
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God has revealed this to me that these are his people.
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He's revealed that to me through his words.
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And so Balak gets frustrated at that,
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and he says, no, I need you to curse them.
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You don't understand.
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And this is what he says, which is super interesting.
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18.
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So remember, Balaam is not what we would classify as a believer,
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or in that time, he's not a part of the actual people of Israel.
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He's not a Jew.
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So Balaam, in verse 18.
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And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
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rise, Balak, and hear.
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Give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
18:50
God is not man that he should lie,
18:52
or a son of man that he should change his mind.
18:55
Has he said and will he not do it?
18:57
Or has he spoken and will not fulfill it?
18:59
That's a super cool passage, right?
19:06
You have this guy who's not,
19:08
wouldn't call himself a Christian,
19:11
or, you know, at the time, a believer,
19:13
in the one true God.
19:15
And yet he says,
19:16
don't you know, Balak, that God doesn't lie?
19:19
His words are true.
19:21
We can trust them.
19:21
That comes out of a mouth that doesn't worship the same God
19:25
as Israel did at the time.
19:27
That's remarkable.
19:29
So we're saying that it's completely free from error,
19:34
and the word is attesting to itself and saying,
19:37
you can search me, but you won't find errors.
19:39
You can think you have contradictions,
19:42
but I'll prove you wrong.
19:45
History has yet to disprove the Bible.
19:48
How many other books do you know of
19:51
that can do the same thing,
19:52
that can say the same thing,
19:53
that can say, you know,
19:55
we're consistent with history,
19:58
with archaeological finds,
19:59
with reason, with logic,
20:00
with all these things.
20:01
You can search me all you want.
20:02
You can exhaust yourself,
20:04
and I promise you, you will come up short.
20:06
That's so huge.
20:08
What other book do you know that does that?
20:10
Right?
20:11
And this is the Bible that you have in your lap right now.
20:15
The fourth thing that Paul does,
20:17
he attests to the authority of Scripture.
20:19
So, he says,
20:24
all Scripture is breathed out by God,
20:26
and it's profitable for what?
20:28
For teaching,
20:29
for reproof,
20:29
for correction,
20:30
and for training in righteousness.
20:32
Again, I'm kind of asking the same question,
20:35
but what book do you submit your life to,
20:37
other than the Bible that says that?
20:39
You know, what book says,
20:40
I'm good for teaching,
20:42
I'm good for you to reprove your friends,
20:44
to correct your friends,
20:45
for training in righteousness.
20:47
Like, why should you,
20:49
tell me why you should submit your life to this Bible,
20:52
to this book.
20:53
Why should you allow your life,
20:55
your decisions,
20:56
your direction in life,
20:58
why should you let all that be influenced by this book?
21:02
Right?
21:04
Why?
21:05
Why?
21:07
I mean, so what we're saying is that,
21:09
okay, if this is not God's Word,
21:12
then you all are wasting your time right now.
21:15
If you are basing your life direction off of the Word,
21:22
and it's not God's Word,
21:24
then you're wasting your time.
21:28
But,
21:29
if this book is God's Word,
21:33
then you're not wasting anything,
21:34
but you're gaining everything, right?
21:37
Like, you're gaining everything.
21:38
If someone can turn to John 17,
21:45
verse 17,
21:45
and read that.
21:49
That's going to be my text on this point.
21:53
I'll do it.
21:54
Verse 17?
21:55
Verse 17.
21:57
Give everyone one second.
21:59
So this is Jesus' context.
22:05
Jesus is praying to His Father
22:07
right before He's about to be crucified.
22:08
And this is what people would call
22:10
the high priestly prayer.
22:12
Let's pick it up, Lauren.
22:13
Sanctify them in the truth.
22:15
Your word is truth.
22:16
Okay.
22:17
Whoa.
22:18
That could,
22:19
you could be reading Scripture
22:20
and then completely miss that.
22:24
Because it sounds so nice.
22:26
But it's,
22:26
it's an insane claim.
22:29
When you think about that.
22:30
Okay.
22:30
So,
22:31
Jesus says,
22:31
sanctify them in your truth.
22:33
Your word is true.
22:34
No.
22:34
He says truth.
22:36
So,
22:37
true is an adjective,
22:38
and truth is a noun.
22:40
So,
22:41
He's saying that your word
22:42
isn't described by truth.
22:44
It's not,
22:45
it's not an attribute of true.
22:48
It is truth.
22:49
It is our ultimate,
22:51
highest authority
22:52
that we submit to everything to this
22:54
because this book is truth.
22:57
Does that make sense?
22:58
It's not an attribute,
22:59
but it's the actual definition.
23:01
And Jesus is claiming that.
23:02
He's saying that,
23:03
Father God,
23:03
your word is truth.
23:06
That's such a big claim.
23:08
And it's outrageous
23:09
that we accept that
23:11
so mildly.
23:13
Like,
23:13
we should have a couple reactions to it
23:15
other than like,
23:15
because if,
23:16
because if I said that,
23:17
I was like,
23:17
my word isn't true.
23:19
I'm not saying true things,
23:20
but I promise you
23:20
it's the definition of truth.
23:22
You guys,
23:23
hopefully,
23:24
would run me out of this building.
23:26
Right?
23:26
I mean,
23:26
like,
23:27
that's such a big claim.
23:30
And that's why
23:31
Christ gets crucified,
23:33
because He's saying
23:33
these crazy things like this.
23:35
But if He's true,
23:36
then He's worthy
23:37
of all our worship and praise.
23:43
Lastly,
23:43
He says,
23:43
okay,
23:44
that same text
23:46
in 2 Timothy 3,
23:48
17,
23:50
He says,
23:51
that the man of God
23:51
may be complete,
23:53
equipped for every good work.
23:56
That it's necessary.
23:57
That's kind of one
23:59
that we need to stress too,
23:59
is that we're saying
24:00
that the word of God
24:01
is necessary.
24:04
You know,
24:04
how do you come about
24:05
knowing God's will
24:08
for your life?
24:09
That actually is a question.
24:13
How do you know
24:14
God's will for your life?
24:21
Yes,
24:22
that's a question.
24:25
Okay.
24:26
So,
24:26
the word of God.
24:29
No,
24:29
that's gone.
24:30
I'm getting rid of,
24:30
I'm doing it with a hand motion.
24:33
It's had its run.
24:34
So,
24:35
the word of God.
24:35
Matt,
24:35
you're saying
24:36
it's the word of God.
24:39
That tells us
24:39
God's will for our life.
24:41
What about salvation?
24:42
How do you know,
24:43
how do you know
24:44
that you know
24:45
that you know
24:45
that you know
24:46
that you know
24:46
that you're saved?
24:48
Question.
24:52
You know what it is.
24:54
You know what the steps are
24:55
because of the word.
24:56
Okay.
24:58
Yeah.
24:59
And I'm not going to,
25:00
I'm not going to ask this
25:02
for an actual response,
25:03
but,
25:03
do you know passages
25:04
that tell you that?
25:06
That you know
25:07
that you're saved?
25:08
What passages,
25:09
what promises of God
25:10
are in scripture
25:10
that you're like,
25:11
hey,
25:12
when you're around,
25:13
I mean,
25:13
I'm just going to use
25:14
Jay Whetstone
25:15
as a good example of this,
25:16
but when he's around Muslims
25:17
and,
25:19
you know,
25:19
he says,
25:19
you know,
25:20
well,
25:20
hey,
25:20
do you know
25:21
where you're going to,
25:21
you're going to spend
25:22
eternal life,
25:23
where you're going to be
25:24
in the afterlife?
25:25
And,
25:26
I'm trying to correct me
25:28
if I'm wrong,
25:28
but your dad says
25:29
that they always say,
25:30
ah,
25:30
no one knows but Allah,
25:31
right?
25:33
And then Jay says,
25:34
but I know.
25:35
I can tell you
25:36
where I'm going to go.
25:36
Like,
25:39
I mean,
25:39
we're surrounded by
25:40
that kind of terminology
25:42
all the time,
25:42
but it kind of loses
25:43
its punch.
25:45
That you can say,
25:47
I know that I know
25:48
that I know
25:49
that Christ is the way,
25:51
the truth,
25:51
and the life,
25:52
and that if I believe in him,
25:53
if I'm trusting him,
25:54
if I'm walking,
25:55
I'm in faith in him,
25:56
that I get to spend
25:58
eternal life with Christ.
25:59
Muslims cannot say that.
26:02
And a lot of people,
26:03
if you press them hard enough,
26:04
can't.
26:06
But,
26:07
you can say,
26:08
I know scripture,
26:09
but I have a question for you,
26:10
redundant,
26:11
but do you know that scripture?
26:14
If someone said,
26:14
what promises of God
26:15
are you clinging to
26:16
for eternal life?
26:18
And,
26:18
you know,
26:18
would you be like,
26:19
oh man,
26:19
I know it's in there somewhere,
26:21
like,
26:22
if you'll just give me
26:23
like five minutes,
26:24
I'll find it.
26:24
But is it like,
26:25
no,
26:25
like,
26:26
I'm clinging to these promises,
26:27
and these promises
26:27
are giving me joy
26:28
and confidence.
26:31
So,
26:31
just be thinking about that
26:33
tonight and right now
26:34
as far as,
26:35
you know,
26:35
do I know
26:36
these passages
26:37
that God gives me promises
26:40
for that I can cling to
26:41
and say,
26:42
man,
26:42
I know I'm saved
26:43
like what you're saying.
26:45
And I know what God's will
26:46
is for my life.
26:47
Those are such big claims
26:48
and no one else can say that.
26:50
But you have the word of God
26:52
which allows you to say that.
26:56
Okay.
26:57
So,
26:58
this is what scripture
26:59
says about itself.
27:00
Right?
27:00
That's what bibliology is.
27:04
That's bot.
27:06
So,
27:06
what the word says
27:07
about itself,
27:08
we know what the word
27:08
says about itself.
27:09
We're saying that
27:09
it's authoritative.
27:11
It's clear,
27:11
it's necessary,
27:13
it's sufficient,
27:13
and it's authoritative.
27:15
What are,
27:16
what do other men say
27:17
about the Bible?
27:18
I'm going to start
27:18
with personal words
27:21
from the Bible
27:21
and I'm going to
27:21
kind of move outward.
27:24
If y'all would return
27:25
to Psalm 42,
27:27
can someone read that for me?
27:31
Not the whole thing,
27:31
I promise.
27:36
Verse 1 through 3,
27:38
please.
27:38
Yeah, go for that.
27:43
Matt Chandler constantly
28:07
give people grief
28:08
for putting this,
28:09
these words on like
28:10
nice paintings
28:11
or coffee cups.
28:13
So,
28:13
I kind of have to do
28:14
the same thing.
28:14
But,
28:15
this is such,
28:16
when you're really
28:17
reading this,
28:17
like,
28:18
what is the psalmist,
28:19
what is the guy
28:19
who's writing this saying?
28:21
He's saying,
28:22
like a deer that is
28:23
so dehydrated
28:25
that it feels like
28:25
it's about to die.
28:27
He's saying,
28:28
my soul pants
28:29
for you,
28:29
God.
28:29
So,
28:29
there's this deep thirst
28:31
for the word of God
28:31
that David has.
28:35
He's so thirsty
28:36
for the word.
28:37
He's like,
28:37
like,
28:38
you don't understand,
28:38
like,
28:38
I'm going to die.
28:40
Like,
28:40
that's how far away
28:41
I feel from you.
28:43
Man,
28:43
isn't it kind of scary
28:45
when you,
28:45
like,
28:45
realize that
28:46
you don't feel
28:48
anything anymore?
28:49
Like,
28:49
things that should
28:50
convict you
28:51
don't convict you.
28:52
Words in scripture
28:53
that one time
28:55
had a huge punch
28:56
now are like,
28:58
you read it
28:58
and you're like,
28:59
ah,
28:59
yeah,
29:00
like,
29:00
as a deer pants
29:00
for flowing stream,
29:02
so my soul pants
29:03
for you,
29:04
oh God.
29:05
Like,
29:05
that is so sad,
29:06
man.
29:06
It happens to me
29:07
all the time.
29:08
I feel like,
29:09
man,
29:09
Lord,
29:09
like,
29:10
I know your word
29:10
is supposed to have
29:11
more of a punch to it,
29:13
but it's just been
29:13
so domesticated by me.
29:17
Another one is
29:17
Matthew 4,
29:18
4,
29:18
you guys can just
29:19
write that one down.
29:22
But,
29:22
so,
29:23
in the scene,
29:23
Jesus,
29:24
who is about to start
29:25
his ministry,
29:26
is in the desert.
29:28
And then Satan
29:29
comes along,
29:30
he's been fasting
29:31
for 40 days,
29:32
I've never done that,
29:33
could not do that,
29:33
I would never say a word
29:35
for 40 years,
29:36
I'd be so hungry.
29:40
And,
29:40
Satan comes along,
29:41
and so he starts
29:42
tempting Jesus.
29:43
He says,
29:44
if you're really God,
29:45
turn these stones
29:47
into loaves of bread.
29:48
He said,
29:49
do you not know
29:50
that God's word
29:51
says that man
29:52
does not live off
29:53
of bread alone,
29:53
but off of every word
29:55
that comes from God's mouth.
29:57
So,
29:57
Jesus,
29:58
like,
29:59
I like,
29:59
I can't even,
30:00
it's hard for me
30:00
to really put it
30:01
in a sermon
30:01
because it's just like,
30:03
it makes it kind of plastic,
30:04
right?
30:05
But,
30:05
I mean,
30:05
like,
30:05
this dude,
30:06
Jesus,
30:07
has been
30:08
without food
30:09
for 40 days.
30:12
I can't do that,
30:13
man.
30:13
It's so,
30:14
that's insane for me
30:15
to even wrap my mind around.
30:16
And then,
30:17
Satan comes and he's like,
30:18
you could,
30:19
like,
30:19
if you know those,
30:20
like,
30:20
cartoons when it's like a mirage
30:21
and it's like,
30:22
they're looking at,
30:23
like,
30:23
a palm tree
30:24
and it turns into,
30:24
like,
30:24
a big slice of pizza
30:25
and they're like,
30:26
ah!
30:27
And,
30:27
like,
30:27
start freaking out.
30:28
You guys know
30:28
what I'm talking about there,
30:29
that imagery making sense?
30:30
Like,
30:31
Satan able to do
30:31
the same thing to Jesus
30:32
and he's like,
30:33
these stones right here,
30:34
these giant boulders,
30:35
like,
30:35
this could be,
30:36
like,
30:37
some wonderful French bread.
30:38
And then God,
30:40
and then Jesus,
30:41
like,
30:41
responds with,
30:42
like,
30:42
what in the world?
30:44
Responds with,
30:45
don't you know,
30:46
like,
30:46
man does not live off
30:47
of bread alone,
30:48
but he lives off
30:49
of every word
30:50
that proceeds
30:51
from God's mouth.
30:52
So he's relating
30:53
physical necessity
30:55
for food
30:56
and spiritual necessity
30:57
for God's word
30:58
almost on the same level.
31:03
And,
31:03
again,
31:04
just a question
31:05
I'm trying to get you
31:05
to think about is,
31:06
can you say the same thing
31:08
for yourself
31:08
as far as what David's saying,
31:11
as far as what Christ is saying?
31:12
Can you say the same thing?
31:15
Do we feel that?
31:17
I think,
31:18
something that I find myself
31:19
so guilty of
31:22
is what happens
31:23
is that
31:24
Scripture affects me
31:26
on an intellectual level
31:28
and a theological level,
31:31
but rarely an emotional level.
31:33
Like,
31:33
I know God's truth.
31:34
Like,
31:35
maybe just as a guy
31:36
it's harder,
31:37
and maybe some of you guys
31:37
can relate to me in that.
31:40
But it's like,
31:40
I mean,
31:41
don't you ever feel that
31:41
when you're like,
31:42
yeah,
31:43
I know this is true,
31:44
but there's not,
31:45
like one of the biggest things
31:46
that you struggle with
31:46
is joy in your life
31:47
or happiness.
31:48
And like,
31:49
man,
31:50
I mean,
31:50
God's word says that
31:51
the man who knows
31:52
his word
31:53
is happy.
31:55
It should make us joyful.
31:57
But,
31:58
I promise you guys,
31:59
like,
32:00
man,
32:00
like,
32:00
I have the hardest time
32:01
with that.
32:02
I have the hardest time
32:03
kind of crossing that
32:04
theological and intellectual
32:06
bridge onto the emotional
32:08
where it's like,
32:08
it's something that grips me
32:09
and like,
32:11
keeps me awake at night
32:12
to where like,
32:12
I have friends
32:13
that aren't saved
32:15
and I'm like,
32:16
totally unemotional about that.
32:18
Like,
32:19
there should be this sense
32:20
of like,
32:20
grieving and like,
32:21
man,
32:22
you don't know God.
32:22
Like,
32:23
there should be this.
32:24
I remember at one point,
32:25
like,
32:27
my friend,
32:28
my roommate
32:28
throughout college,
32:31
like,
32:31
wasn't a believer
32:32
and man,
32:33
I just remember,
32:34
I remember being here
32:34
on a Thursday night
32:35
and I just went home
32:36
and I was just like,
32:38
bawling in his room.
32:39
I went into his room,
32:40
like,
32:40
shut the door
32:41
and I just started crying
32:42
in front of him
32:42
and I was like,
32:43
man,
32:43
like,
32:44
I'm so sorry.
32:45
Like,
32:45
I haven't done a good job
32:47
like,
32:48
sharing Christ with you.
32:49
These things are true
32:50
that I see that
32:51
apart from Christ,
32:52
man,
32:53
like,
32:53
we're going to spend
32:53
eternity away from him.
32:55
And that was just something
32:56
that's like,
32:57
man,
32:57
I broke in and cried
32:58
in front of my roommate
32:59
and I don't,
33:01
the same thing doesn't
33:01
happen to me anymore.
33:03
Like,
33:03
that's,
33:04
and that's not okay.
33:06
At least,
33:07
it doesn't happen to me
33:08
as often.
33:11
So,
33:12
what,
33:12
another guy,
33:13
I kind of want to go
33:14
a little bit out of
33:14
scripture here.
33:16
What are other guys
33:17
that have longed
33:20
after God's,
33:20
what else are they saying?
33:21
So,
33:22
St. Augustine
33:23
or Augustine,
33:24
however you want to say,
33:25
they're the same.
33:28
Okay,
33:29
so,
33:30
St. Augustine,
33:31
he says this quote,
33:32
he says,
33:33
how sweet all at once
33:35
it was for me
33:36
to be rid of those
33:37
fruitless joys
33:38
which I once feared
33:40
to lose
33:40
and was now glad
33:42
to reject.
33:43
You drove them
33:44
from me,
33:45
you who are the true,
33:46
the sovereign joy.
33:48
You drove them
33:49
from me
33:49
and took their place,
33:50
you who are sweeter
33:51
than all pleasure.
33:52
They're not to flesh
33:53
and blood,
33:54
you who outshine
33:55
all light
33:56
yet are hidden
33:57
deeper than any secret
33:59
in our hearts.
34:00
You who surpass
34:01
all honor
34:01
through not in the eyes
34:03
of men
34:04
who see all honor
34:05
in themselves.
34:05
Oh,
34:06
Lord,
34:06
my God,
34:06
my light,
34:07
my wealth,
34:07
and my salvation.
34:08
If you know anything
34:10
about Augustine,
34:11
he was basically
34:12
what we would classify
34:13
today as like
34:14
a sex addict.
34:15
Like,
34:16
man,
34:16
like the dude
34:16
just had struggles.
34:20
And it's like,
34:21
and then you hear,
34:21
you hear this coming
34:22
from a guy
34:23
who is addicted
34:26
to sex,
34:26
he's addicted
34:26
to a million other things
34:28
and yet he says this,
34:29
he says you,
34:30
so what are those,
34:31
those are the things
34:31
that we're talking about
34:32
when he says
34:32
you drove those
34:33
fruitless joys.
34:34
Like,
34:35
Augustine had everything
34:35
he wanted to.
34:36
He had everything
34:38
he wanted
34:38
and he's like,
34:39
those are fruitless joys,
34:40
I don't even want them.
34:41
Like,
34:41
what makes people
34:42
like Paul say,
34:43
like,
34:43
all those things
34:44
that I had,
34:45
like,
34:45
all the intellect,
34:47
all the prestige,
34:48
all those things
34:48
I just counted
34:49
as a complete loss
34:50
for the sake
34:50
of knowing Christ.
34:52
Like,
34:52
oh,
34:52
man,
34:53
that's like,
34:54
it makes my mouth dry
34:55
because it's like,
34:56
like,
34:56
I've walked down
34:57
these halls
34:58
where there's great
34:59
men of scripture
35:00
and great men
35:01
of faith
35:02
who are saying like,
35:04
pay attention
35:04
to this book.
35:05
saying like,
35:07
like,
35:07
don't you read this book?
35:08
Like,
35:08
do not pass this.
35:10
Don't get caught
35:11
going to conferences
35:12
and reading
35:13
Christian pop books
35:15
and being in small groups
35:17
yet all the while
35:17
missing the word
35:18
and not valuing it
35:20
and not treasuring it
35:20
and not knowing me.
35:23
Like,
35:23
don't miss that.
35:24
That's what they're saying.
35:25
It's like,
35:25
I can't get past it.
35:26
Like,
35:26
I keep running into dudes
35:27
like this who keep
35:28
saying these things
35:29
and I keep finding myself
35:31
on the other end
35:32
of the spectrum
35:32
where it's like,
35:34
God,
35:34
I'm not treasuring
35:35
your word like that.
35:36
Like,
35:36
I need to.
35:39
And it's like,
35:39
it's haunting.
35:41
It's haunting
35:41
to have guys like that.
35:46
And it's so rough
35:47
because I feel like
35:48
we're a generation
35:50
that's characterized
35:51
by 15 minute devotions.
35:55
Like,
35:55
does anyone else feel that?
35:57
Like,
35:57
man,
35:58
like,
35:58
how do we get there?
35:59
There's so many
36:01
different reasons
36:01
that I would say why.
36:02
I mean,
36:02
you could analyze that all day.
36:05
But,
36:06
I would say that
36:06
a big part of it
36:07
is that,
36:08
man,
36:08
like,
36:08
that deep introspection.
36:10
I was talking to
36:10
John Overton
36:11
about this today
36:12
and I was asking him,
36:12
like,
36:13
man,
36:13
why do you think that is?
36:13
And he was like,
36:14
man,
36:14
and I agree with him
36:16
is that,
36:17
you guys know
36:18
what introspection means?
36:19
Like,
36:19
the act of,
36:20
like,
36:20
looking into yourself
36:21
and looking at your soul
36:22
and looking at the things
36:23
that you care about,
36:24
the things that you spend
36:25
your money on,
36:25
the things that you spend
36:26
your time in,
36:26
all those things.
36:27
And we don't examine ourselves.
36:29
We don't spend
36:30
the necessary time
36:31
trying to understand
36:32
those things better
36:33
and see where,
36:33
like,
36:34
God is with all those things.
36:39
And it's like,
36:40
man,
36:40
we just,
36:41
isn't it so,
36:42
aren't we so characterized
36:44
by,
36:44
like,
36:44
reading the Word
36:45
like it's a textbook?
36:46
Like,
36:46
you have your devotion
36:49
and I say that
36:50
the poor man's,
36:50
the poor man's devotion
36:52
is always Psalms.
36:53
Like,
36:53
if you have five minutes,
36:54
it's like,
36:55
go to Psalms
36:55
and get what you can out of it
36:56
because the day is gone.
36:59
And it's like,
37:00
man,
37:00
we spend like 15 minutes
37:01
in Psalms
37:02
and we read it like a textbook
37:03
and we read these words
37:04
and like,
37:04
okay,
37:04
this is what it means,
37:05
this is what it says,
37:06
I understand that.
37:07
But we're not saying,
37:08
we're not meditating on the Word
37:10
as I think is a big thing there.
37:12
Because we're saying
37:13
that the Word
37:14
is so applicable
37:15
for your life.
37:17
And I mean every single individual.
37:18
I mean,
37:18
like,
37:18
as a group,
37:19
I mean,
37:19
like,
37:19
you who's come here,
37:20
like,
37:21
this book is so applicable
37:23
for your life,
37:23
but it was written
37:24
so many years ago.
37:27
And that's insane.
37:28
That's insanity.
37:31
And like,
37:31
no other book can claim that,
37:32
but yet we spend 15 minutes
37:34
in a devotion
37:34
and we don't meditate on the Word.
37:36
We're not saying like,
37:36
okay,
37:37
I read the Scripture
37:38
and I understand what it says.
37:40
Now God,
37:41
I'm not going to leave
37:42
until you tell me
37:42
what it means for my life right now.
37:44
What does this mean?
37:45
What does this mean?
37:46
What does this mean to me?
37:47
What does this mean to me?
37:48
Like,
37:48
we don't do that.
37:49
It's like,
37:49
alright God,
37:50
I've got this time
37:51
and you're going to have to
37:51
make this work in this.
37:53
Does anyone here run?
37:56
Like,
37:56
distances for exercise?
38:04
What mile,
38:05
who raised their hand?
38:07
Okay.
38:08
Lauren,
38:09
what mile,
38:10
everyone else is feeling terrible
38:11
since I didn't raise their hand.
38:12
I promise I'm healthy.
38:17
Lauren,
38:18
what mile is it for you
38:19
when you get that runner's high?
38:22
When you can,
38:22
as soon as you get past this mile,
38:24
you can just run
38:25
like another six miles.
38:27
Okay,
38:28
three.
38:29
Anyone else?
38:30
What else?
38:30
Just quick shout outs.
38:31
Which mile is it
38:32
that's like the worst
38:33
that you hate?
38:34
But you're like,
38:34
if I just get over mile three,
38:36
what mile is it?
38:37
Two?
38:38
Okay.
38:39
Seven.
38:40
Some people are like,
38:41
the whole thing!
38:42
All of it!
38:45
Like,
38:45
why am I doing this?
38:46
I should be running from something
38:48
and I'm not.
38:50
And,
38:50
um,
38:50
but it's like that.
38:53
Okay,
38:53
so we,
38:54
um,
38:56
we have that mile
38:57
that's like,
38:58
man,
38:59
what mile is it that
39:00
as soon as I get past this mile,
39:01
I'm good
39:01
and I can just run
39:02
and that's when I can start
39:03
thinking about things
39:04
and that's when it doesn't hurt as bad
39:06
and that's when
39:06
really the dopamine
39:07
starts kicking into your body
39:08
and your body starts releasing
39:09
these hormones
39:10
that makes it okay.
39:11
Um,
39:12
and,
39:13
and really from my own life,
39:14
I've found that scripture
39:15
is so much like that.
39:17
Um,
39:18
that as long as I'm approaching
39:19
scripture and I'm saying,
39:20
Lord,
39:21
I need you to teach me something
39:22
in 15 minutes,
39:23
there's like,
39:24
for me at least,
39:25
there's very little
39:26
that I get out of it.
39:27
There's very little
39:27
that I,
39:28
that I walk away
39:28
and I'm like,
39:29
man,
39:29
like the Lord just spoke to me
39:30
so much in that time.
39:31
But it's,
39:32
for me,
39:33
it's like that,
39:34
a lot of times
39:34
it's like that 30 minute range,
39:35
like,
39:35
okay,
39:36
like as soon as I can get over
39:36
that 30 minutes,
39:37
like,
39:38
man,
39:38
it's just,
39:39
it's so great after that.
39:41
But so little of us
39:42
are wanting to put in that time
39:43
to really get over that,
39:45
um,
39:45
apex,
39:46
it's so difficult.
39:47
I think Nathan even talked about,
39:48
like,
39:49
when climbing,
39:49
like,
39:49
getting to that point
39:50
where it's the hardest point
39:51
in the climb,
39:52
but if you can nail that point,
39:54
you can get past the whole climb.
39:56
Um,
39:57
and I would just say that,
39:58
man,
39:58
like,
39:58
I,
39:59
for me,
40:00
um,
40:00
I've found that I've had to be
40:01
so patient in the word,
40:03
um,
40:03
and just approaching scripture
40:04
and saying,
40:05
Lord,
40:06
I'm not going to try to fit you
40:07
in my schedule,
40:08
but my schedule is fitting around you.
40:09
So because of that,
40:10
I'm going to go to bed
40:11
at 11 o'clock
40:11
and I'm going to wake up
40:12
at 7 a.m. every day
40:13
so that I can spend,
40:15
like,
40:15
a solid hour
40:16
just praying and reading.
40:18
Um,
40:18
what is that for you?
40:20
Um,
40:20
so many times we approach scripture
40:22
like,
40:23
there's this formulaic method
40:25
to how you are
40:26
to get something out of it.
40:27
Um,
40:28
and I think a lot of us
40:28
have probably been run dry
40:30
by that,
40:30
right?
40:30
Like,
40:31
you've been to a lot of conferences
40:32
and you've read a lot of terrible books
40:34
that have told you,
40:35
you know,
40:35
as long as you do it in this method,
40:37
read Psalms,
40:38
meditate on that,
40:38
pray that,
40:39
now go into Old Testament,
40:41
and I'll go into Old Testament.
40:42
And like,
40:42
some of those things are,
40:43
like,
40:43
can be helpful and good.
40:44
But I'm just saying,
40:45
you know,
40:46
what is it when you're approaching scripture
40:47
and you're saying,
40:48
like,
40:48
Lord,
40:49
I want to know your word more
40:50
and I'll do anything to do that.
40:52
So if that's five minutes,
40:53
if that's ten minutes,
40:54
if that's thirty minutes,
40:55
if that's an hour,
40:56
I'm going to do that.
40:58
Um,
40:59
there's,
40:59
I know there's a time in my life
41:01
um,
41:02
when,
41:04
like,
41:04
especially this past year,
41:05
um,
41:05
I had so many questions about
41:07
what's my direction?
41:09
Um,
41:09
I feel like a lot of us
41:10
are asking that,
41:11
you know,
41:11
like,
41:12
God,
41:13
I have no idea what my major is,
41:14
or,
41:14
you know,
41:14
God,
41:15
like,
41:15
I have no idea what I'm going to do
41:16
after college.
41:17
Like,
41:17
we're asking those questions,
41:18
and,
41:19
um,
41:20
like,
41:21
that's,
41:21
it's,
41:21
especially it's terrible
41:22
when it's your senior year
41:24
and you're like,
41:24
oh man,
41:25
what am I doing here?
41:27
Um,
41:28
our lives.
41:31
But,
41:32
I got to that point
41:33
this whole past year,
41:35
um,
41:35
and especially over the summer,
41:36
I was just like wrestling,
41:37
like,
41:37
Lord,
41:38
what,
41:39
what is it that you want me to do?
41:41
Um,
41:42
and what's my answer?
41:43
Like,
41:43
yeah,
41:43
like,
41:43
I read a book,
41:44
um,
41:45
and it was good,
41:45
but it wasn't on the subject of it,
41:47
but,
41:47
man,
41:47
I spent time,
41:48
I spent the whole summer
41:49
just going through,
41:50
um,
41:52
the Old Testament,
41:52
just being like,
41:53
all right,
41:53
Lord,
41:54
like,
41:54
I know that you have something
41:55
to teach me here,
41:56
and the thing that kept popping up
41:57
over and over again
41:58
was Israel's reliance on God,
42:01
how God is kind of the God
42:02
that leads them by,
42:03
you know,
42:04
fire by night
42:04
and smoke by day.
42:06
It's like,
42:06
man,
42:07
that's the God who's like,
42:08
all right,
42:08
I'm just going to provide
42:09
enough for you
42:10
so that you trust me today.
42:11
I'm going to provide
42:12
that manna for you today,
42:13
but don't try to hoard it over
42:14
because it'll spoil overnight
42:16
and you won't have any
42:17
for tomorrow,
42:17
so you've got to trust me
42:18
that I'm going to have
42:19
enough manna for you
42:20
in the morning.
42:21
Um,
42:22
that is,
42:23
and I just spent time on that
42:24
and, like,
42:25
meditating on that all the time.
42:27
So,
42:27
what I'm just trying to say
42:28
is that,
42:29
like,
42:29
man,
42:29
when we're approaching Scripture,
42:30
I don't want you to let me tell you
42:32
how you need to read Scripture
42:33
or,
42:34
you know,
42:35
what you need to move to
42:36
because it could be for you
42:37
that you're in a time in your life
42:38
when you need to spend
42:39
the entire,
42:40
you know,
42:41
next three months
42:41
in songs,
42:43
repeating the same thing
42:44
over and over again
42:45
because it hasn't sunk down
42:46
deep enough.
42:47
Um,
42:48
so,
42:50
the text that I'm going to
42:51
leave us with
42:52
is Hebrews 4.
42:58
Hebrews 4 says,
42:59
For the Word of God
43:00
is living and active,
43:02
sharper than any
43:03
two-edged sword,
43:04
piercing to the division
43:05
of the soul
43:06
and of spirit,
43:07
of joints
43:08
and of marrow,
43:10
and discerning the thoughts
43:12
and intentions
43:12
of the heart.
43:14
Um,
43:16
it's,
43:17
this passage is saying
43:19
that God's Word
43:20
is something that's applicable
43:21
for you and your situation
43:22
right now.
43:23
And I don't know
43:24
what that is.
43:25
Um,
43:25
I can't know
43:26
all of your situations.
43:27
I can't know,
43:28
like,
43:28
man,
43:28
what is so hard
43:29
for you right now
43:30
whether that's
43:30
making decisions
43:31
about careers
43:32
or,
43:33
you know,
43:33
majors
43:33
or,
43:34
you know,
43:35
am I going to get
43:35
into this program
43:36
or that program
43:36
or do I need to continue
43:37
in this relationship
43:38
or whatever it is.
43:40
Um,
43:41
but the thing is
43:41
is that God's Word
43:43
is saying right now
43:43
that His Word
43:44
is living and active.
43:46
Um,
43:46
He says it's,
43:47
so He says
43:48
the soul,
43:49
the spirit,
43:49
He says the thoughts
43:50
which are your heart
43:51
and then,
43:52
I mean your mind
43:52
and then the intentions
43:53
of the heart.
43:54
So,
43:54
He's really saying
43:55
that the Word
43:56
addresses all these things.
43:57
Every thought that you have,
43:59
like your emotions,
43:59
your deepest concerns,
44:00
your deepest struggles
44:01
and the things
44:02
that you,
44:03
you know,
44:03
desire most.
44:04
There is a God
44:05
who knows all those things
44:06
and I can't know
44:07
all these things
44:08
and that's what makes
44:09
God's Word
44:09
so incredible,
44:11
um,
44:11
so powerful.
44:13
Um,
44:15
and so I think
44:16
more than anything
44:17
we need to be
44:20
people that are
44:20
characterized by
44:21
loving the Word
44:24
for,
44:24
for revisiting
44:25
truths like this.
44:26
Like,
44:27
man,
44:27
what does the Bible
44:27
say about itself
44:28
that no other book
44:30
can claim?
44:32
That's in,
44:33
that's totally insane
44:34
to me.
44:35
Um,
44:36
so I hope
44:38
this increases
44:39
your joy,
44:40
that it gives you
44:41
confidence in the Word
44:42
that,
44:43
that even tomorrow
44:44
morning we're fighting
44:45
for that time
44:46
of like,
44:46
Lord,
44:47
I will do anything
44:48
to know you more.
44:49
I don't care
44:50
what the sacrifice
44:50
is,
44:51
I'll put it down
44:52
like,
44:52
because I know
44:53
that you're the
44:55
reason why I get
44:55
in the Word,
44:56
you're the reason
44:56
why I want to
44:57
know you more.
44:59
Um,
44:59
let me just pray
45:00
for us real quickly
45:00
and Alex,
45:01
if you want to
45:01
come back up.
45:02
Let me just pray
45:03
if you want to
45:04
if you want to
45:05
let me just pray
45:06
if you want to
45:07
if you want to
45:07
let me just pray
45:08
if you want to
45:08
let me just pray
45:10
if you want to
45:11
if you want to
45:12
let me just pray
45:14
if I need to
45:15
let me just pray
45:17
if I need to
45:17
let me just pray
45:18
if I need to
45:18
let me just pray
45:19
if I need to
45:20
if I need to
45:21
let me just pray
45:21
if I need to
45:22
let me just pray
45:23
if I need to
45:24
let me just pray
45:25
!
45:26
Let me just pray
45:28
!