THE BIBLE – GOD’S WORD - Disciples Today

Q: JAMES 1:21-25

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Q: ACTS 17:10-11

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Q: 1 TIMOTHY 4:16

16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Purpose

To establish the scriptures as the standard for our lives.

Is the greatest selling book in history
Contains 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament)
Was written over a period of about 1,500 years
Was written by more than 40 authors from varied backgrounds (shepherds, fishermen, kings,
theologians, a doctor, a tax collector, etc.)
Contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies
Is historically accurate – archaeology continues to affirm the biblical story

2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17

^{14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.}

Through scripture, we learn about faith and salvation.
The Bible is God-breathed – from God himself; communicated through the personalities of chosen men such as Moses, Paul, John and Luke.

Q: What does it mean for scripture to be “God-breathed”?

Q: Do you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God?

The scriptures are useful – they teach, correct, rebuke and train us in righteousness.
The scriptures equip us – they can be used in every aspect of our lives: areas such as marriage, parenting, work, finances, decision-making, relationships, etc.

Q: Do you see the Bible as relevant and useful to you?

JAMES 1:21-25

^{²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.}

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

A call to humility – humbly let the word of God expose our imperfections.
A call to action – God expects us to look intently into his word and obey it, and he blesses
those who do this.
A call to examine – the Bible, like a mirror, exposes who we really are.

Q: What is the function of a mirror and how does this apply to our spiritual lives?

MATTHEW 15:1-9

^{Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ²“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”}

³Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’^[a] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’^[b] ⁵But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

⁸“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
⁹They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’^[c]”

Many of us have grown up learning and practicing religious traditions, some of which may contradict scripture.
Following scripture is always more important than honoring our traditions. If our traditions contradict scripture, Jesus says we are worshipping “in vain.”
God wants more than lip service and religious traditions. He wants our hearts! God is looking for hearts that value his commands over man-made traditions.

Q: How might tradition come between us and doing the will of God?

ACTS 17:10-11

^{¹⁰As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.}

What qualities listed in this passage indicate that the Bereans were noble
- Eagerness – they were eager to hear God’s word.
- Digging deep daily – they examined the scriptures every day.
- Personal pursuit of truth – they did not just accept what the religious leaders were saying; they checked the scriptures themselves.
Take the “Berean Challenge” and imitate these characteristics.

1 TIMOTHY 4:16

^{¹⁶Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.}

God cares about our life (how we live and the choices we make) and our doctrine (what we believe). So we need to pay careful attention to both.

Q: Consider an airplane in flight. Which of the two wings is most important?

If we are to be saved and to help save those around us, we must persist in knowing the truths of the scriptures and living out those truths in our daily lives.

JOHN 8:31-32

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Holding to his teachings goes beyond mere obedience – it is to “abide” or “remain” or “continue” in his word. We hold God’s word close to our hearts and live our lives immersed in it.

Q: Jesus claims that his words are a source of truth and freedom. Do you see the teachings of Jesus as a source of freedom or constraint?

Q: Are you willing to humbly let the Bible expose your heart?

Q: Are you willing to accept the Bible as the standard for your life?

Q: Are you willing to eagerly study God’s word every day?