Is your check gas light on?
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But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
How do you know what you believe is absolute truth?
Acts 5:17-25
Intro
Intro
“A Mind for truth and a heart for God”
The importance of God’s Word to the life of the Christian.
Churches today are moving away from truth - God’s truth.
Bible Study - Tell me what you get out of this, or what do you believe about this?
Rather, we should be asking, what does God tells us in this? What is the truth?
The church needs to be very careful in falling prey to this relativistic mindset and approach to Scriptures.
The Word of God is synonomous for Scriptures for us.
A. W. Tozer in Pursuit of God - Chapter 6
“God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is, by his nature, continuously articulate. He fills the world with his speaking voice.”
I am afraid we have become a people who no longer desire to hear God’s Word.
Drama
Drama
The Word of God was the motivator for the Apostles
It was their only message
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
It was their reason for sustaining persecution
They knew it’s results - Spiritual Healing
The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The result - God added to their numbers
God is building his kingdom by the power of His Word. This must be the main source for the Christian. It is our foundation. We must start there.
Start with truth and everything else is compared to that
We don’t start with everything else and ask what does the Bible say?
We must start with what Gd says about himself, the world, his R-H plan.
How should we view the Scriptures - God’s Word for us?
Doctrine
Doctrine
God’s Word is Truth
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,
An Angel - messenger - brings God’s Word
God’s Word is true -
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
God’s Word brings life -
“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
Eternal life -
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The Holy Spirit is the one who applies God’s truth and brings one to salvation, but the means are God’s Words.
“The Words that I have spoken” - Jesus
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
=9
God uses words, His words to save people
We have the message of reconciliation - God’s Word
God’s Word sustains the believer
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Satan opposes God’s Truth
As he did in the Garden - argued with Eve about the words God used
He is attempting to stifle the most powerful tool God has given to men - His Word (Truth)
Satan attacks in two areas:
Physical
Has apostles thrown in prison to hinder the spreading of God’s Word
they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.
Uses the Sadducees
Religious people but not Christian
Opposed Jesus throughout NT
Spiritual
Sin of Jealousy
10th Commandment - covet
coveting leads to jealousy or vice versa
Jealousy is opposed to truth
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Illus: Jospeh and His brothers
“Dreamer”
Reuben did not want him killed, but was OK with him being thrown in a pit
Jealousy will drive us to do things against one’s we love.
Satan seeks to destroy the promulgation of God’s Word throughout the world.
Yet, God is faithful and nothing will stop His Truth from going forward.
He provided a miraculous escape for the Apostles:
And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
Doxology
Doxology
How many of us have been physically attacked?
How many of us have ben spiritually attacked?
God’s Word brings the lost to salvation!
God’s Word sustains the Christian in this life!
Mothers, teach your kids God’s Word an to stand on it.
Grandmothers, teach your “grands”
Apostles were obedient to teach the word in every situation!
And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
They knew the importance of Standing on God’s Word and Truth.
It must be told!
Driving a car without gas. Many of us are driving around with our check gas light on.
The check engine light, also known as an “idiot light”
Ways we move away from God’s Word
We buy into the promises of the world
We believe God’s Word needs improvement
We approach it as a self help book
We neglect it in our daily lives
We compromise it’s truth to “fit in”
We put other things as our foundation
God’s Word must be our foundation:
Wellesley
Wellesley was founded in 1875 by Henry and Pauline Durant, both evangelical Christians and friends of Dwight Moody, who served as an early trustee.
Wellesley was founded in 1875 by Henry and Pauline Durant, both evangelical Christians and friends of Dwight Moody, who served as an early trustee.
Concerned that Christian women were not being well-educated, the Durants felt the need for a women’s college. Henry Durant, in his opening address to the college, said that “the Higher Education of Women is one of the great world battle cries for freedom… I believe that God’s hand is in it.”
Concerned that Christian women were not being well-educated, the Durants felt the need for a women’s college. Henry Durant, in his opening address to the college, said that “the Higher Education of Women is one of the great world battle cries for freedom… I believe that God’s hand is in it.”
Now the school has moved toward the pluralistic and all embracing PC way of the world.
Now the school has moved toward the pluralistic and all embracing PC way of the world.
His wife Pauline placed a leather Bible in one cornerstone of the first building erected on campus. On the fly-leaf of that Bible, she had written:
His wife Pauline placed a leather Bible in one cornerstone of the first building erected on campus. On the fly-leaf of that Bible, she had written:
This building is humbly dedicated to our Heavenly Father with the hope and prayer that He may always be first in everything in this institution; that His word may be faithfully taught here; and that He will use it as a means of leading precious souls to the Lord Jesus Christ…. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”
This building is humbly dedicated to our Heavenly Father with the hope and prayer that He may always be first in everything in this institution; that His word may be faithfully taught here; and that He will use it as a means of leading precious souls to the Lord Jesus Christ…. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”
Unfortunately, at Wellesley, that Bible is no longer “faithfully taught” as the foundation for the school’s mission.
Unfortunately, at Wellesley, that Bible is no longer “faithfully taught” as the foundation for the school’s mission.
When we take our Bibles and they become no more than a symbol of Christianity and not our motivation we end up moving toward the world.
The apostles stayed true to God’s Word because of the importance it had in their life.
Their faith was in a speaking God, our faith should be in a speaking God. He speaks through his word - let us once again open his word and read it. Let us hear from God, lest we also drift away.