|
THE EXCELLENCY OF GOD’S WORD “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your Word.” Ps 119:16 “Would it not be an encouragement to a subject, to hear his prince say to him, “You will honor and please me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away?” So for God to say, “Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count myself glorified.” –Thomas Watson Our Purpose: In Jesus Christ our hearts are satisfied. We were made to discover and delight in his glory. It is the knowledge of Christ that brings joy to our souls. The knowledge of the glory of God is most clearly seen as the Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to see and hear Christ speak in his Word. Thus, our motivation for devouring God’s Word is not only duty but deep delight. In this session it is our purpose to explore how we can make Christ’s glory our treasure through devouring his Word. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
The Authority of God’s BOOK 2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work . “We owe to Scripture the same reverence as we owe God, since it has as its only source in him and has nothing of human origin mixed with it.” –John Calvin OUR PURPOSE: God’s speaks in creation, in history, in miracles, in visions, in the Incarnation, and in the written Word to carry out his will. When God speaks, he reveals his power, his authority and his presence. In Jesus Christ, God reveals the fullness of His glory. In the written Word, the Bible, Christ the Word speaks to us. Our goal is to see why we can have unqualified confidence in what it says about life and the pathway to joy. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST AND THE WORD John 5:39-40, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” “We were made to know and treasure the glory of God above all things; and when we trade that treasure for images, everything is disordered. The sun of God’s glory was made to shine at the center of the solar system of our soul. And when it does, all the planets of our life are held in their proper orbit. But when the sun is displaced, everything flies apart. The healing of the soul begins by restoring the glory of God to its flaming, all-attractive place at the center.” –John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, p. 21 |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
The Sufficiency of God's Word: Part Two “I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law. Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Great peace have they who love your law and nothing can make them stumble.” Ps 119:163-165 “On the far side of every risk-even if it results in death-the love of God triumphs. This is the faith that frees us to risk for the cause of God. It is not heroism, or lust for adventure, or courageous self-reliance, or efforts to earn God’s favor. It is childlike faith in the triumph of God’s love-that on the other side of all our risks, for the sake of righteousness, God will be holding us. We will be eternally satisfied in him. Nothing will be wasted.” – John Piper, “Don’t Waste Your Life,” p. 95 |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
The Sufficiency of God's Word “Jesus replied, ‘Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?’” Mark 12:24 “In the beginning of this century the battle was over the inerrancy of the Scriptures. Today it is over the sufficiency of the Scriptures.” – Dr. James Boice Our Purpose: God’s Word is sufficient. God speaks and accomplishes His purposes (Isaiah 55:11). God’s Word is our food (Matthew 4:4). God’s Word is irresistible power (Jeremiah 23:29). God has spoken the words that are written down in our Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). When it is believed and received, it creates eternal life (John 20:31). Its truth sets apart the people of God (John 17:17). It opens the eyes of the blind (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). It gives life to the dead (Colossians 2:13). It grows the Church (Acts 12:24). It frees the captive (John 8:31-32). It gives hope to the weary (Romans 15:4). It brings joy to the heart (John 15:11). It brings glory to God (John 15:7-8). Nothing needs to be added to it and nothing needs to be taken from it (Deuteronomy 4:2). Nothing can be set alongside it (Psalm 119:89). God’s Word is sufficient! If we will believe it and proclaim it, God will glorify himself through it. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
