"Those of you who have been coming
Sunday evenings have been sharing with me a study of the life
of Jesus, as we know it from the Bible. It's clear that we don't
really know that much about Him, if we're speaking in biographical
terms, but we do know a tremendous amount about what He did, what
He thought, and what He felt in those last few years. Of course,
those last few years are the real key to what we as Christians
believe.
"So, it's in the Bible, but where?
The Bible is a big book, if you try to read it from beginning
to end, but think of how much of it is just history. The entire
Old Testament is the story of mankind losing touch with God, and
of God trying to reestablish contact. If we had to, I think we
could sum up the really pertinent message of the Old Testament
in just two thoughts. The first is in First Samuel 8, and covers
a time period when God was dealing direct with men and women -
and liked it that way. The people of that day - let's think of
them as 'we', because it's a continuing story from them to us
- were afraid to deal one-on-one with God. 'We' thought we needed
an earthly ruler and a prescribed set of rules to live by. God
granted our request, but He told us four things. First, that wasn't
the way He wanted it; He wanted to deal direct on a day-by-day,
case-by-case basis. Second, He guaranteed we wouldn't like it.
Third, He said we wouldn't be able to live with it. Finally, he
said that after He showed us that there was no way humans could
live under a fixed code of law, He would give us one more chance
to get back together with Him. The way He would reestablish contact
is spelled out in Isaiah 53, and it's what we Christians base
our whole faith on: on Jesus Christ coming to live as a human
being and dying to take away all the sins that we have committed,
and will commit, so that we can have access to God again. That's
it, folks; that in one long paragraph is the Old Testament!
"Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't
read the entire Old Testament. If you do, you can get to know
the history of God's dealing with us. It's good reading, as you
know, and the Holy Spirit can teach us a lot from what has been
written. But, plain and simple, the Old Testament is the history
of how we were given the opportunity to become Christians.
"I've realized just lately that most
of the New Testament is also 'just history'. What I mean is that,
just as the Old Testament tells how people dealt with God and
God dealt with people prior to our reconciliation with Him through
Christ, the New Testament - except for the four Gospels - is a
partial history of what happened after the reconciliation. I say
'partial history' because we're still making and writing that
history day by day. The New Testament records for us how those
closest to Him - both in time and space - reacted to Jesus' time
on earth, and what they heard Him say, what they saw Him do, and
what they heard others say about the Gospel message.
"I find this concept of New Testament
as history to be very freeing, in two ways. First, it explains
a lot of the things in the Bible that don't seem to agree with
what Jesus said, as recorded in the Gospels. Now, I believe in
the infallibility of the Bible, meaning that I don't believe that
there are any errors in it. However, to believe that in my heart,
my head has had to ignore some things in the Bible that really
haven't made sense to me, because it's very obvious that Peter,
Paul, and others were not always saying the same things that Jesus
said. Very shortly after the Resurrection, church leaders were
already bringing Christians back under the law - parts of the
Mosaic Law, but also a host of new rules and regulations. For
example, Paul was making pronouncements about women and slaves
that seem far out of touch with the freedom and equality that
Jesus preached. How can this be, if the Bible is true and infallible?
Well, here it is, folks: the Bible is one hundred per cent true,
in regard to what happened. But it is history, not a primer for
Christians, so what is true is not necessarily right. What I'm
saying is that the New Testament from 'Acts' on is a record of
what people did with Jesus' teachings, not always what He wanted
them to do. What He's given us in the New Testament are examples
- both bad and good - of what we did with our new-found freedom."
"I said that there were two reasons
that I find the concept of New Testament as history (rather than
as right or wrong) to be freeing. This second reason is that it
means we have to focus on the four Gospels as being the part of
the Bible that has the real meat and the real message for us as
Christians. This is as close as we get to Jesus talking to us
directly and telling us what life should be all about. This is
the place where we get Jesus' words and deeds recorded just as
precisely as the authors of the Gospels could remember them. This
is the part of the New Testament by which we judge the rest. In
other words, if something Paul says seems off base, judge his
words against Jesus. Are they right, or are they just history?
Is it Peter just muddling along trying to do the right thing,
or is it the Holy Spirit giving us the straight scoop through
Peter?"
"This might cause us some concern
at first glance, because right away we have to ask ourselves how
we can be sure we know the difference between right and history
- between good intentions and Jesus' best way - when the Gospels
don't treat the subject exactly. This is where one of God's best
promises comes into play. He's told us that we have immediate
and continuous access to all His wisdom by asking the Holy Spirit,
that 'comforter' that Jesus said would be here with us, and for
us, until He returns. He's said that we can have 'the Mind of
Christ' in all matters, just by asking for it. Think about it:
this is vital to Christian life! If you don't know those scriptures,
look them up. Try John 15:24: the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, shall
teach you all things. Matthew 10:18-20: don't worry about what
you'll say when challenged; God will give you the right words.
How about James l:5: if anyone lacks wisdom, call on God, Who
gives wisdom liberally. Or First Corinthians 2:16: we possess
the mind of Christ! Read them for yourselves; look at them in
context. These are terrific! There is no reason for a Christian
to be confused or in doubt about what is right and what is true,
but we need to practice asking for and listening to the voice
of the Holy Spirit every day.
"A few weeks ago, some of us accepted a challenge to always ask ourselves (and the Holy Spirit, of course) what Jesus would do if He was faced with each of our daily challenges and circumstances. When we started, we didn't know how to ask that question and get the right answer, but I'm convinced we know, now. Listen to me, people! Christianity isn't just going to church, or looking forward to going to Heaven. It's a full, every day, every minute, every second communion with God through His Holy Spirit, if that's what we want. God said, if I am God, then let me be God. Folks, we are missing so much by not taking Him at His word! If you haven't accepted the challenge - not as a game, but as a commitment to really take God at His word - I urge you to start right this minute to let God be God in your life."
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NOTE: This sermon of Pastor Josh Felton came from Chapter 38 of "If God is God." Read more of Josh's sermons, or get the whole book.