The Power of the Public Reading of Scripture - Dec. 26th, 2021

Welcome back to Sunday evening service Steve affectionately like to call the kind of program or doing tonight the sounds of Christmas. I know we've we've already had that but how about a little bit more? Is that okay? Okay, I was waiting for a response. So just making sure it was okay. All right. I'm going to invite you all to stand or going to sing. The first song is our congregation. You read him Noah's Number 96 as with gladness men of old and let's follow their example as we sing bringing our worship to the Lord 96.

as with gladness

Evermore

as well

Andrew rude and bear free from cries to the

Play a random song where they do some things seated or standing. Sand I let him choose. All right, you can keep standing. All right, let's pray most gracious Heavenly Father God again. We thank you for the privilege to be back tonight Lord though Christmas May officially be over is still in our hearts and we as we've mentioned many times already that for the Christian Christmas is every day we have much to be thankful for that our heavenly father Sent His only begotten son to Earth in the form of man. So he can redeem us that we can have fellowship with him again through our savior in our Lord Jesus Christ. And so father we thank you for a great service this morning and we pray even for a greater time this evening as the specials will a lift up our savior in our God and that we worship him and express our great love and gratitude for who he is and what he's done for us to Father speaks to the hearts of your people this evening and we pray you be pleased and all that said and done I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Please be seated.

Ring the bells ring the bells let the whole world know that Jesus Christ is born. So let's go ahead and sing that now grab your blue him knows how late is stand again as we sing that song number 315 in the blue hymnals ring the bells

ring World daddy hears all going reborn solo years ago.

Christ The Saviour live today

ring playing in Christ is born in human form of Crisis born.

He has his own Christ. The lord has come to

Christ the savior

Thank you. You may be seated.

Well, how do you follow that a man? well The way that we follow that because we're at the church. So we followed that with the word of God. Music is intended to prepare our hearts for worshiping Our Savior and forgiving God glory for edifying and exalting the Lord Jesus Christ building up one another in the face that was once delivered to the Saints. I got a green light here. So must be good to go. Hopefully, I'll stop bringing here momentarily. I'll try not to crash into anything up here. This is been great. What a tremendous night. I didn't know we had all this Talent our church even know we're not professionals. You probably figured that out by now. But hey, we want to make a Joyful Noise and a joyful sound of the Lord and what better way to do that with whatever Talent weekend. We can to lift up the name of our savior. Well, I want you to join me and look at Revelation as we look at some things here tonight. I think what I have for you will be complementary to our messaging song that we've had. Hopefully you've had some of the messages of these songs rolling around in your mind as the tones and The Melodies help us remember the truth The word of God, that's why I love those him so much because those Melodies are tied to the message and it makes it Unforgettable. I don't know how many times throughout the middle of the week. I will find myself humming a tune that maybe we sang last Sunday Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night, whatever. It was. Holy spirit will bring that message back to me and it it usually tends to be a verse of the song or something that I just needed at that moment in the Holy Spirit calls its remembrance. You see music is vital to how we worship God. I'm so thankful for brother Mike and those that have worked with him and they deserve honor honor to whom honor is due I certainly but they don't do it to be seen they do it because they want you to think about Jesus Christ. And so you're in Revelation, I want to compliment tonight as we mentioned. How do you follow music in this message? We've had in music tonight with instrument particularly. We follow up with the word of God. I want to bring something forward to the church family tonight that I hope you'll you'll find be a blessing and also give you some insight into why we do some of the things we do around here at the First Baptist Church of Westminster, and I'm the co-pastor here. I'll be bringing the message tonight that I've simply entitled The Power of the public reading of scripture the power of the public reading of scripture in Revelation Chapter 1 what you stand with me as we read verse three together. I'd like you to read it out loud set your eyes on the text and let's see what the promise of the word of God is

Revelation chapter 1 verse number 3. Let's read it out loud together blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand Lord. I pray that you would bless our time in your work tonight. Thank you for the soul-stirring music. We've had that draws our mind to your glory and list Christ up an edifice him exalt seminar heart in mind. We say Lord you are the one that is worthy tonight of all the honor and the praise in the Glory. Thank you Lord for not leaving us without direction. Thank you for giving us the greatest thing that we could have to guide us here below and that is your infallible inspired inerrant word to lead us and guide us. And all these songs have been formulated around the truth and the principles of your word tonight to help us take that next step as we follow you Lord Jesus. May you be exalted as we look at your work together tonight and help us as a church to continue to be the Beacon of Hope that we need to be in in the midst of a dark crooked and perverse world. I missed a generation that is rising up that seems to not know you Lord may we be that Beacon of Hope that says there is a way that we can walk and it's in the word of God. I pray you bless our time tonight in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you may be seated. Internalizing the word of God invites the blessing of the Lord. Would you agree with me? That would be a good a summary of Revelation 13 if we will internalized the word of God this verse promises that we as God's people can invite the blessing of the Lord in our lives blessed. That's a one of the seven Beatitudes. You'll read throughout the Book of Revelation expounded on that some years ago when I preach the Book of Revelation, but here we noticed the order it is to be read. I believe that would it be contextually referring to the pastor perhaps or someone else delegated in the congregational assembly to stand and actually read the text of the Book of Revelation among the congregation. And if you were with us at Broomfield when we were going to the Book of Revelation, we did something very special there that I've always remembered it's always stood out to me. We as a church in as a congregation decided that we would read cover-to-cover the book of Revelation Revelation chapter 12 Revelation chapter 22, and we did that publicly in our services and then I would preach from Revelation it took us some weeks to do that. You can imagine but with all those who were on that Journey probably remember that and I believe our church received a blessing just by reading and then also not only reading what's the next thing listed blessed are they that read and hear the word of God is not like to be read publicly. It is to be heard by the listeners. Obviously, that would be Anyone within earshot, I believe in the power of the public reading of scripture. It is not only to be read out loud by the assembly that's gathered the New Testament Church. It is to be heard by the listeners. How will they here? Except someone give it to them Paul says in Romans 10. It's to be heard. But then also it doesn't stop there just to be kept I think James challenges us with this that we should be lures of the word and not hearers only deceiving our own selves. It is to be kept by both the reader and the audience Can I submit to you tonight? Very simply there is no more important Proclamation. We have news coming out us from every angle. There is no more important Proclamation today or in any age then the public speaking of the word of God. whether that be by reading or by quoting So what bothers me and what brings this message to my heart mind tonight is why then does it seem to receive the very least of attention?

Does that not break your heart like it did mine?

We in America are suffering from a famine. I heard brother schwanke preaching message years ago as he was exposing through the Book of Amos. Maybe you've heard this message if you listen to his sermons. He pointed out that America is suffering a famine of the word of God. Amos address to similar problem with his real did he not he was commissioned by God to let them know that they were suffering a famine not a food, but they were suffering a famine a dearth of the word of God and it led to their ultimate judgment. They wound up in Babylon because they neglected the word of God. You see we have church is scattered all across America. We have worship Services happening everywhere. We look and yet when we flipped the channels and we intend we consider what's out there and just a quick survey. Maybe you've been in the the place where you had to search for a church for your family to attend. I've been there before and there are certain criteria I have is a father now. I'm stepping out of my pastoral Road and there's a there's a criteria have as a father that I want to make sure whatever Church my children are in. My wife is in that I'm in has met certain things where they stand on music for the Mike where they stand on the word of God. Those are too big Once if I can answer those two, then we move on to other issues that you headed to Moore theological things. I won't cover here but it's important that we know what it is. We're doing when We Gather to worship because we are in a family we have people that stand up and give a self-help self-help messages. We have churches that go in and then it's nothing more than a glorified entertainment center, you know of what I speak and I'm not saying this to be kinda need to be unkind to anyone else, but aren't we in a little bit of a predicament? Look at the the state of our nation look at our country today. You've heard the arguments. I'm sure Bible was removed from the schools decades ago prayer was taken out the public school system years and years ago what's been the outcome of all of that? We've tolerated Saint we've allowed sin to no end it seems in and we continue to dream up new ways to sin against each other and yet we want to minimize this as a nation as a country want to we want to set this aside and we want to do whatever right in our own eyes. If we could just learn from the history of Israel, we might be in a better place I think but do you not agree with me? We're suffering from a famine of the word of God. What's this not Israel's demise for their Nation? Can also submit to you that Peter reminds us these kind of problems cannot be solved in Washington. They cannot be solved with the government. Peter reminds us it's high time that judgement begin at the house of God. You see if Israel would have done that. God would have heard them to Isaiah 7:14. How many times do we put that for our own country and yet the context is it was given this real? If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land what a beautiful promise isn't it and yet they missed it. Will we is America also miss the same grace of God that could turn our nation around I submit to you we will if we continue to treat the word of God the way that our nation is treating the word of God. So what do we do? Well, it's high time that judgment begin in the house of God. How did the church get here? How did we wind up in this place where we're even having this discussion tonight as a church family surely. I'm not picking on only First Baptist Church of Westminster or Broomfield Baptist either. I'm not just calling us out here. I want you to survey with me and see what can we do to make sure that it's not set of us. How did the church and I use that term generally. How did we wind up here? How did we get to this place? Could it not be partially due to the same reason that describes under what became of Ezra's Ministry and eventually transformed into what we see in the Days of the New Testament when Christ walked this Earth could it not be some of the similar things that they encountered? I think it through with me. No, I'm not here to say Ezra didn't do the right thing as racism Heidi man of God, you won't find a better example in scripture of a Man Who Loved the scripture and who sought to impart it to God's people in teach anybody who would listen the things of the word of God, you won't find a better man than Ezra and he started out I believe the motive was well when they began But what was put in place under Astros leadership when Israel returned after their captivity? Became what we know is the synagogue. And other readings that happened there in the public reading some scripture that even our savior participated in do you remember that account in Nazareth when they tried to throw him off the cliff? Why was that because of how he handled the public reading of scripture?

Are you convinced yet that there is power in the public reading of the word of God? You see these things are right where we live and how did we get here? Could it not be some of the same legalistic tendencies that we find in the scribes and the Pharisees have also crept in to the Motions in the machinations of the church as we know it and I use that term loosely could not be the way that some have down through the course of church history approached the public reading of scripture like it's nothing more than just a simple magic charm or a lucky rabbit's foot. Again, I am not here to necessarily step on toes. I hope that it's not me doing it. I would trust it as the word of God that would bring offense to us, especially that of the Cross of calvary. Our Savior died for those same scribes that rejected him And yet they were so steeped in their traditions. That they couldn't see what God was doing through the new wine skin. You don't put new wine in Old bottles. You need a new wine skin. And this was what God was going to accomplish through the church and yet as well as describes as well as aspirin might have begun and what morphed into legalism in the scribes and they got down to the minutiae of the letter of the law that kills which is partly Why They Crucified Our Savior on how he handled things like this sabbath and and how he handled the reading of the scripture in the synagogues and and claiming to be able to cata to to forgive sins and and there's a handful of things that really just rub them the wrong way why because they were so steeped in their legalistic Traditions could not be two in the church that we become steeped in. Well legalistic Traditions that become nothing more than Sacrament seeing Baptist Churches. We don't have a public lectern for the reading of scripture. We don't have a two things like you'll see in some other denominations. If you will that we don't have, you know, the cross in the center. We might decorate our churches, but primarily what you should find in Baptist Churches is a place where the scriptures do take central place. It's called The Sacred desk buy some the pulpit if you will and this is to be where the word of God is publicly proclaimed from behind the sacred desk in the duty to call of the preacher to make sure that when he proclaims publicly scripture, he does so in a way that does not contort scripture in a way that upholds and magnifies the word of God. So what what's happened down for the course of of a church history, I think maybe we've run the danger of sacramental icing the reading of scripture. And that's tragic. At that tragic when those legalistic things happening people begin to think well, if I just read my Bible, I'll be okay before we pick on the Protestants too much. And before we pick on the Catholics too much. I just threw but people under the bus tonight will let's let's head home. Okay, how many people think I'm talking about people in good Baptist Church is even how many people have you come across? Perhaps that's a well if I just read my Bible and pray everything's going to be. Okay. I've got my yearly reading and as long as I read it, I don't really understand a lot of it cuz I read it so fast and I do it to check it off the list and just to make sure I read my Bible in the year. How much of it did you absorb when you're reading? Okay again, I don't want to discourage anybody from reading through your Bible in a year. Please do it, but don't just go through the mechanics of it to say I checked it off the list and now you know, I've brought my lucky Bible in and everything's going to be okay this year because I made sure I didn't miss my Bible did I lose you yet? We got some problems don't lie. What's the answer? How did we get here?

How do we move forward we have the things that we talked about with the scribes and the Pharisees under Ezra all the way up to the time of Christ. We got the legalism in catechist tick nature approaching scripture reading public scripture reading. We've got the lectionary approaches that really turned the reading of the Bible into nothing more than a good luck charm. We've got Baptists guilty of of reaction ISM, you know, but this is part of our modus operandi sometimes I think well the charismatic took off with the holy spirit, so we better just be stoic in our services.

Hello. Pastor Ward, this might be my last year here at the church now. I'm just kidding. Can we not do the same thing when it comes to reading scripture publicly? Well, the Catholics have run amuck with it in the Protestants. They don't know what to do with it. So we might as well just not touch it.

No, I think there's a a Biblical way. I think that if we can put aside all the other connotations we might have if we could clear the Slate so to speak and if I can is as much is this in a just go to the Bible itself and say how does the bible present the public reading of scripture then? I think we might get closer to where God would want us to be as a church family. There's nothing more important that our country needs than the public proclamation of the word of God. And the church is The Keeper of the word of God. I think it was Dean Bergen in his the revision revised if you've never read that. Well, if you're looking for something to put you to sleep at night, that would be a good one to do it. But the revision revised he really was thorough in that now. I know he's a high Anglican and I understand all of that. So we use Baptist would approach things a little differently than somebody like Dean bergenwood of the Oxford Society. But he's a man who stood up for the word of God when it was being attacked by critics when everybody was following a scholarship. They were following West Cottonport. Dean Bergen was one of those shining bright lights that said we don't need to go find the word of God we have it. He stood up for that. He reminded Us in his book. The revision revised that the church is throughout history the witness and keeper of holy writ. You know, I appreciated our conference. We went to in Ohio there at First Baptist of Milford. I really appreciate their work and there's a reason why because when we went we got to see firsthand, they're printing press and one of the things that I am just so impressed about with their setup is that they're printing press if I understand it correctly pass toward might correct me if I'm if I'm mistaken, but what comes off of that press primarily and foremost is the word of God. They can print anything they wanted to print but that Ministry bearing precious seed Ministry is set up because of this premise in many ways. We as the church are guilty of turning that keeping of the holy writ of God over to secular companies. You don't believe me go look at and what we've done with publishing arms, like zondervan and Baker and all these other things and you go to the Bookshelf and you see all these people are printing Bibles and they've all got their own copyrighted version. How do we get there to have to wear the word of God is copyrighted? Can I tell you there's no copyright you can put on the scriptures know what they copyright again just to be fair is their own content. They have their own study notes. They have their own formats here. And in minor things they do there that they can copy. Right but the authorized version actually does have what you might call a copyright on it belongs to the crown. The crown of England because it was under King James that this book was authorized to be printed and I'm not here to give you a history of the King James Bible here tonight, but have we abdicated our responsibility and given that responsibility as The Keeper of the word of God to publishing arms like zondervan? Nothing wrong with Outsourcing your printing if you need to two companies, I'm not against that but I really appreciate what First Baptist in Milford is done to make sure that church Remains The Keeper. Of holy writ, we shouldn't need anybody else to print our Bibles. We should be able to do it as the church say Amen which is why I'm so thankful for our sea lion ministry here, which is an extension of bearing precious seed out there in Milford, but are we not the the witness and keeper of holy writ as we look at Revelation chapter 1 verse 3. I want you understand. There is a blessing that the context here is that it is specific to the Book of Revelation. It is the prophecy that was given through the Apostle John we're clear on that but by wave application, I really think you could apply Genesis to Revelation to that promise that if we will read and keep the scriptures the blessing that attends that person will also fall on us because we're faithful to do that. We'd understand some things about the word of God. I want you to go back and let's get the Old Testament Foundation a little bit here short with me if you would I look back and I will go to Joshua hero. I watch the clock for sake of time but we have Joshua has a is a statement that it's just a standing to me. Joshua was Moses's faithful replacement. Joshua trained under Moses and was there for Moses up until God took Moses and Moses was was the prophet of Israel that God had sent to deliver them out of captivity. If you turned over to Joshua, I want you to turn to chapter 8 Genesis Exodus Leviticus number Deuteronomy. Joshua Joshua chapter number 8 and I won't read the whole chapter. Although I would encourage you to coming to burst 30 we see Joshua building an altar. This is after the encounter with a I there was a mighty victory that God gave them at a i after a defeat but they purged their Camp of sin and Aiken was dealt with and now Joshua and his men go out and they take a i and upon the heels of that Joshua built an altar and want you to read. This is over a tee-ball verse number 33, I'll begin their first 32 vs 32 and he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel to their elders and officers their judges stood on this side of the Ark and on that side before the priests and Levites which bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord as well. The stranger as he that was born among them half of them over against Mount gerizim and half of them over against Mount ebo and Moses as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before that. They should Bless the people of Israel. Verse 34 and afterward he that is Joshua. What did he do have to rebuild this altar after everybody's on one side in the other and all of this has been done afterward. He read maybe want a circle this word all the words of the law he read the law of God before God's people. He read all the words of the law the blessings and cursings. I'm not the one who has observed this I've heard plenty of other people say, you know part of the problem with America's pulpits. Today is nobody wants to preach on things like hell anymore. Have you heard anybody? Say that? We are given a commission to preach the whole Council. Joshua did not just give them the blessings. He wanted them to understand that when they win against the word of God. There were also cursings. There's some pretty down in Houston that I wish you would understand that but I won't name any names like Joel Olsteen or anything. But here we go afterward. He read all the words of the law of the blessings in the cursing. So cording to all that is written in the book of the law. Watch this now. We're 35. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua red not before all the congregation of Israel with the women and a little ones in the strangers or foreigners if you will strangers that were conversant among them. You seem Josh will make sure he didn't miss a single one. He wanted them to hear every word that God had given through Moses every word. That is what we would call it in seminary and in Bible College and in school, so we would call that the verbal plenary inspiration of the word of God by that. We mean every word of God is inspired not just the thoughts that's important when it comes to translation work because I don't personally want somebody to tell me what they think. God said. I want to know what God Said So give me every word. I want every word that was inspired of God and that's 1st Timothy 3:16. well

What do we do? Do we just concede and say you well, you know, they've had their way with it. We we shouldn't do anything. We we should just not touch this we shouldn't mess with it. I don't think that's the right answer because to take that kind of approach and say well, you know since they've catechized it over here and they've done this over there and in the public reading of scripture has a has this connotation in people's mind. Sometimes we shouldn't we shouldn't do that and you know that we read the scripture here in our services. Okay, so you understand. I'm talking to our church family here, but by and large how many other churches do you go to that are standing where they ought to stand on the Bible. Are engaged in the public reading of scripture? Many times you go to Church's how often is a text read maybe but then it just becomes a springboard for whatever the preacher wants to say. And that's the only encounter with a scripture you get is whatever verse was read. That's not connected to anything today. He said afterwards you've never been in those kind of services. Okay, well

It happens more than you know. It happens often evening good. You know what we would call good churches. and I know there's a lot that goes behind that but What do we do do we just concede and ignore 1st Timothy 4:13, which hopefully I'll read here momentarily. Do we just ignore versus like 1st? Thessalonians 5 27 and just mark them out of our Bible and pretend they're not there. Do we just just put Colossians 4:16 to the side or do we just brush over Revelation 13? No, I think there's a better answer. The reality is today that a majority of those in the Pew hear me. Well a majority of those in a few will never be exposed to any more scripture than what they hear read from the pulpit. I wish it weren't so. But also face reality. I put my head in the sand and pretending that it's not the way that it is. That is where we live if it's not read here if it's not verbalize tear and in given here. Then chances are will they ever hear it outside of this? It's so vital. It's so important. We have been given discharge. We are the witness in the keeper. There is a promise that a tent. You see Joshua will learn what he learned from Moses and Moses had to put things together for them to publicly read the law every seven years. He even gave me a copy that they can keep in their strong box. They could keep in New York and pull that out when they needed to read it. They could read it before all the people this is this was so important for their Nation if we fast forward to the days of Nehemiah you read Nehemiah chapter 8, I want you to turn over there because there's one person in particular. I want you to see now if Nehemiah chapter 8 is to be any reference for us and how we handle the word of God in our Public Services. I think we should pay attention to what happened here in Nehemiah chapter 8, you have something magnificent going on. They are reestablishing themselves in Jerusalem. And one of the first things they do. Is stand up and read the word of God together as a nation back in their Homeland. Look at verse number eight. This is the only one I point out too. But I would encourage again read the whole chapter when you have time versus number eight of Nehemiah 8 says so they read in the book of in the book in the law of God. They did it a certain manner. they read now does that mean they just

Okay, just read it. We're good. Know when it says they read they read it out loud to everybody that was in earshot. So when they read how did they do it? They read in the book in the law of God distinctly. They gave the sense. And cause them to understand the reading I'm so thankful for a good church. That only has good Godly Christ honoring music but has petrol leadership that seeks to explain the word of God to us in a way that makes it distinct and clear so that there's no question. We understand what the Bible truth is for us today. So this is a great pattern, isn't it? We think of Nehemiah what we think of what Ezra did with him here as described you worried about Ezra in this chapter is well and again just a great man of God, but then fast forward even further. Let me go back and Israel's history back to before they went into captivity and you find a king by the name of Josiah who hilkiah the priest found something very precious delivered it to the king and he'll, the priest found a copy of the word of God and you remember what happened that if you read that story the Bible was read out loud before the nation. For the congregation of Israel and Josiah heard it reading his ears and guess what it did it changed their Nation from the top down because there was a man in leadership who understood how in trouble they were with God and said we need to make some things right and where did it begin it began by getting back to the basics back to the public reading of the word of God. There is power when this word Goes Forth its promised to not return void. So the more we can give it out the better the more we can read it the better the more we can quote it the better the more people hear it the better the more they keep it the better because the blessing of God of tens as Revelation 13 explains that you see there's a context around that promise in Revelation. The world is headed for troubling times. The tribulation is on the horizon and it is the word of God that will keep us on a short footing as we navigate this crooked and perverse world a world rack with sin. We have a Beacon of Hope and light that shows us. This is the way walk. Ye in it and God phone it was important for his people to keep his word front-and-center. So it was up to the time of Christ which as a mention he participated in the public reading of scripture in haggai. Never find one time where he condemned the public reading of scripture in the synagogue. Can you As their custom wasn't that day when Paul went to a synagogue he would go to a synagogue. He would reason with them sometimes for days at a time. And in those synagogue Services, they would get the Scrolls out. They would read from those Scrolls. You know, I look at how they handled the word of God and please understand my heart on this. Okay. I thought he warned against legalism and and and and turning things into Superstition in those things but hear me. Well, I am put to shame I and put the shame when I think about a Muslim Imam a Muslim Imam who has a copy of what he calls his scripture. it and he takes that scripture before he even takes it out of its case he vows and praise and and worships in his own way and then their Islam language understand there's a lot wrong with it, but I am put to shame by his reverence of what he calls scripture when I walk through my own house sometimes and

I see copy of the Bible laying on the floor.

Here he doesn't even get the book out. If you look at what let's not even pick on the Muslims as much let's look at those who are in the synagogues even today before they take that stroll out after they take it out before they put it back in the case. They will kiss that scroll. They'll open that scroll. They'll read that scroll and they have such reverence and yet they don't even understand half the time when they're reading but it puts me to shame. When I have Bibles that they're they're not treated. Sacred lie like they should be now getting this is an object. This is Trina would that we've made into paper and it's printing and I don't want to turn this into some kind of thing that we rub some lucky mad magic foot or something. No, but the content of the word of God ought to be revered you see it says on the front right here Holy Bible it is to be set apart. It is distinct and different from any other book on the face of this planet and part of the problem we have today is that people have have watered down or ignored that very distinction have they not How many of our students go to school and they're taught to approach this book just like they do any other literature book just like they do any other history book. There's no difference. Can I tell you that's a big problem because what sets this book apart from every other book on the planet is divine inspiration. It was given by God to man. I had a chapel speaker that came through one-time encouraged us is college students to go to Genesis 1:1 and and before it begins there in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth the Heaven and the Earth. He said just write Dear your name, and then go to Revelation where it says even so amen and right love Jesus. This is God's letter to us. And it is given by inspiration. There's no other book like it. I'm never never ceases to amaze me what I encounter as I study and read and pray for the word of God. It's always fresh. It is living. It is quick and Powerful. In the northern hemisphere here. We're in great trouble. Because it is officially now deemed an inn called a mission field in every sense of the term. There was a time when the Northern Hemisphere was impacting the southern hemisphere with the word of God. You have men like William Carey and and Hudson Taylor and in the mission, boom that happened just just a couple hundred years ago. Now the tables have turned we have so many missionaries in the southern hemisphere trying to pierce the Northern Hemisphere with the word of God what happened? What happened to the Britain Great Britain as they went all over the world taking the word of God what happened to them now? It's a shell of what it used to be spiritually speaking. If we're not careful. We're on that path. We will be there before we know it and we have such a dearth today. Few people today grasp an understanding of of just fundamental things in the Bible. I'll talk to people are like, who's Adam? Who's Eve? I don't know who that is. I have came across one person uses been years years ago now but they thought Jesus Christ was just a new pair of jeans. You know, you see that label Calvin Klein or was that Jesus Christ that a new pair of jeans. They don't even know who it is. Who is Jesus? Well, I do know this the Muslims have got it wrong when it comes to Jesus because the Jesus of the Quran is not the Jesus of the New Testament. And if they could ever make that connection they just might get saved. In fact some of them have when they understood the Jesus as described in the Quran is a different person from the Jesus as described in the New Testament if they can never understand that the Virgin birth, they'll realize that the Jesus that came to save the Earth is not the Jesus described in their own scriptures that they Revere so highly

so what's happened here people don't even know. What's the song you say this word Psalm. Is that like some kind of tree? No. To them the Bible is no more inspired than any other book, which is a false notion. The Bible has become Antiquated. We got in all these things that about dated the Bible and there's newer better ways to there is nothing better than this. There's no there's no better thing that we can do then get back to the Bible. And today it's coming to Great attacked not just from the text critics in our own ranks, but it's come under attack by those that say well, it's just filled with a bunch of hate speech prove it. I want to see it. And then I'll give you some proof to think about on the other end of the the sphere. Tell me where the Bible has gone that Humanity has ever been degraded. Tell me where the truth of the Gospel has permeated and pierced that women weren't elevated. Tell me where the Bible has gone that people have not been liberated and set free. And come to know what true Liberty really is hate. Speech. Prove it, but you see this is where we live. How do we move forward again? Nothing has done more to bring Liberty to Freedom respect all members of humanity than the propagation of the scriptures and the Bible. We need to think about the New Testament. Now how letters were circulated in the New Testament. You see we got understand what did it mean to them? And where we at today? We understand that before we asked how does it apply to us in this day and time there were people who couldn't read there were people who they didn't have copies of Scrolls. It was very important for them to have public reading of scripture simply because they didn't have the technology that we have today with the movable type and all these printing things that we can do. You can go read the Bible anytime you want they couldn't And so it makes it really special when you come to church on Sunday and and the pastor gets up and says, you know, I've got this scroll here. It just came from Timothy or epaphras and we're going to open the scroll and Paul, you know, he's in prison over here for the gospel and we're going to open this letter from him the Apostle. He was here you remember when Paul was here, right and he came and preached us and taught us all these great things. He's written as a letter now, we're going to open this letter and we're going to read it as a church because what better way can we get the truth to everybody at once then to read the truth of what Paul said it himself and there's verse afterbirth that Paul gives it says this needs to be read out loud in your congregation. I want everybody to hear it because there's false teachers in your midst and Timothy. I don't want him to get it from you. I want them to hear it from me. Because he has Apostolic Authority you see as the scripture circulated churches would get those letters how special it is, you know, it may be like when you used to like getting mail anymore. I'd like I don't want to go to the mailbox, but there might have been a day where you said, I can't wait to go see if there's anything in there and then sure enough. Here's this letter. I remember in college. One of my favorite letters to get was panhellenic mail when I get a letter for my sweetheart. I look forward to those. How to open that with with joy and anticipation the church family would do that too. And yes at sweetheart is now my wife didn't see if you're wondering. Yes. It's her own embarrassing that that's the sense of these letters you get these and you open these and it's so precious. Can we get back to the place where we do that every time we crack open the Bible and just say this is a letter from God and read it in our midst all I think it'll change our lives if we get there how were these letters circulated down the road at church would get it and then they would make copies of it and then pass it on to the other churches. That's what you're reading about. When you read Revelation 13 these letters to the seven churches would be passed around and stop off in Ephesus and then ever since we get it make a copy and send it down the road to the next one smart and progressing and make its way all the way through New Testament Christianity. You see that is the biblical foundation for our seedline ministry because the church is to keep her the word of God.