Receiving The Bible Our Guide Our Instruction Our

Receiving The Bible Our Guide Our Instruction Our Goal Our Teaching

Introduction • God has supreme authority • God gave Jesus all authority until such time as the world ends. • Jesus gave the apostles authority • Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide and lead the apostles and the early church. • The result of all this effort is documented in the Bible.

Why do we need to study this? • Many people do not follow Gods word. • Many people teach error about the Bible. • Many people question whether the Bible is real and/or complete. • Many people are looking for any reason to excuse their ignorance or rejection of doing what God told them to do. • Many people do what they want.

What man has done • Proverbs 12: 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. • Proverbs 16: 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. • Proverbs 21: 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. • Judges 21: 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

What man has done • Matthew 15: 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. '“ • Man does the exact thing that Satan did in the garden • Genesis 3: 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. '" • Genesis 3: 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. • God said to do something, and man says you do not have to do it.

What God said: • Deuteronomy 28: 1 "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. • God told this to the Israelites • The principle still holds true, if we will obey His voice, he will exalt us.

What God said: • Deuteronomy 28: 15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: • Still holds true today.

What God said: • 1 Samuel 12: 14 "If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God. • 1 Samuel 12: 15 "However, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Blessings or Curses • Really our choice in the matter. • We are either going to obey God as God has taught us in the bible. • Or we will refuse to obey God as God has taught us in the Bible. • Our attitude and willingness and even our subjection will determine our destiny.

Right attitude • Joshua 24: 24 And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!" • Jeremiah 42: 6 "Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God. "

Right attitude • 1 Samuel 3: 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears. '" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. • 1 Samuel 3: 10 Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears. "

God said: • Isaiah 45: 19 I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. • There are no mysteries. • God has spoken for the whole world to hear. • God speaks through the Bible. • There are no secret codes or treasures to unlock. • There is only truth

Right attitude • Jeremiah 26: 2 "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. • Acts 20: 27 "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God”.

Conclusion • Lots of confusion about what God has spoken in the Bible because men have taught error. • Let the Bible speak. • Our job is to hear. • Once we hear, we must follow the Lord’s commands, no matter the outcome.