13 Mar Book it! (Because a Bible that is falling apart indicates a life that isn’t!) Part 25

Posted at 19:13h in Uncategorized by

First let’s review…

For the last few weeks we have begun to discover some Truths to Trust God’s Word:

  1. The Bible is historically accurate (Ps. 33:4)

Three Tests of Historical Accuracy:

  1. Eyewitness accounts (I cor. 15:6)
  2. The Bible was recorded and copied with extra care.
  3. Archaeological confirmation

     2. The Bible is scientifically accurate (I Tim. 6:20)

     3. The Bible is prophetically accurate (Matt. 26:56)

     4. The Bible is thematically unified.

     5. The Bible is trusted by Jesus (Matt. 5:18)

     6. The Bible has enduring power (Luke 21:33)

      7. The Bible has transforming power (John 8:31-32)

Here the Bible tells us, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him.  If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed:  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This is my 35th year of ministry and throughout that time frame I have often told people concerning the Bible, “Take the recipe, go into the kitchen and cook with it.  Just see if that recipe produces something pretty tasty.”  Meaning, simply take the Word of God as it is a recipe for success, into the “kitchen” of your life and cook with it!  Not over night, but over time…it will always produce something tasty and satisfying in your life! Continue in it…don’t just try it but continue in it and it will transform your life too!

Then we began to share  “Four Characteristics concerning Continuing in the Word”:

  1. Make it the foundation of your life (Matt. 7:24).

Here the Bible tells us, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock”.  Here the Word of God clearly tells us that the storms of life will come to all our lives but if our foundation is built on hearing and doing the Word, our house (life) will stand!

I began sharing different foundations that will surely not uphold you in this house.  Let’s call them “Four Faulty Foundations”:

         1.) Popular culture.  

Popular culture comes and goes.  It is so funny to me to watch people who think they are creative and different.  I went to a ministerial conference a few years back.  This conference was known and advertised for being very creative.  Therefore all the “creative” leaders came from all over the country to get even more “creative”.  The hilarious thing to me was that all of the “creative and different” ministry leaders were almost identically the same!  They dressed alike, they talked alike and they acted alike…all in the name of “creative and different”!

Pop culture comes and goes, so if you build your life on it…this will always be a faulty foundation!

Let’s continue this month with…

2.) Tradition (Mark 7:7-9)

“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

According to these powerful verses there is something that can make the Word of God have no effect on our lives!  Not the devil and not even your mother-in-law (and no, they are not one in the same).  It is tradition that makes God’s Word ineffective in our lives!

Remember this:  tradition is when we hold onto methodology more than the message.

Please let me explain.  When we built our new facility, we built it on 27 beautiful acres.  During this process, I had a gentleman in our congregation come to me and request we build a “prayer garden” on our beautiful grounds.  Now please don’t mistake me, I’m not against prayer gardens, but I am against symbols over substance and methodology over message. Jesus addressed this same thing in John 4:1-24 in His interchange with the woman at the well.  She was all caught up with where one worships, by contrast, Jesus was all caught up with who you worship (see John 4:23-24).  

Tradition, symbols, methodology…all take us away from our relationship with Jesus and point us to religion.  We do this when it comes to communion.  We fight small wars over what the communion elements should or should be.  Should we use a wafer or a loaf of bread? Should we use a goblet or little juice cups?  Should we take communion every week or once a month?

Yet the Bible tells us, “…as oft as you drink it do this in remembrance of Me” (I Cor. 11:24-26).  In other words, it’s not about the elements or the frequency, but who you are to remember!

We do the same thing with the cross.  We deify two pieces of wood until we magnify a symbol over our Savior.  The Bible tells us, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that preach foolishness but unto us that are saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).  You see, it’s not about two wooden sticks stuck together so you can scare away vampires, it is about the preaching of what Jesus did on that cross that is the power of God to us!

That is why tradition is such a faulty foundation!  It promotes religion over relationship, symbols over the Savior and methodology over the message!

Join us next week as we continue this series…