Holy Scripture

“IN THE BEGINNING, God . . . ” (Genesis 1:1). “There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job” (Job 1:1). “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus” (Luke 2:1). “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John” (John 1:6). “Jesus said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers’” (Luke 10:30). What’s one thing all five of these scriptures tell us?

They tell us that God is telling the world a story. This story begins in eternity past and stretches into eternity future. This story includes people like Noah, and Joseph and King David. It includes Peter, John and Paul. It includes famous people like Joan of Arc, Leonardo Divinci, and Napoleon. And it includes ordinary people like you and me. All throughout eternity, we find etched into time and space different stories from all different kinds of people, and from different generations.

And the theme of this story is shalom. It’s a story of peace. I believe it’s a story of God restoring peace. Meaning that all things in their created place, doing what they were created to do. And it’s simple… we are created to be in loving relationship with our creator and in harmony with one another as His creation. At some point in our life, we realize that as humans, we are living our lives as a story.

We are born into stories. We have been raised in stories, and we are living and we will die in stories. And what I find interesting but yet humbling, is that God has invited each of us to play our part in the over all story of life by living in this grand story we call faith. Whenever we have to answer a big question — who am I, why am I here, what should I do, what happens to me when I die?

— we tell our story through the lens of faith. Faith is more than just a thought. It’s more than just having good intentions. Faith at it’s very core is to be lived out through our lives, in the over all story of life. Did you know, that There is no other way to to please God than by faith. Think of what the writer of hebrews tells us from the message paraphrase translation, 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith.

Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. What we realize is that Faith is not merely holding to certain teachings, or holding onto traditions, or anything else… but rather Faith is a strong conviction that the world around us is part of a greater plan and story. God’s Story. Faith means that although at times the world looks chaotic and uncontrolled, we feel deep down that this chaotic world is not where we truly live.

That, our existences are guided by God’s strength and power. When it comes to this journey, what we learn is that our faith journey begins by understanding how our story fits into God’s story. But for that to be true we need to understand God’s story and how our story fits or belongs. I want to take a moment and read to you our stance as Nazarenes on what we say as a denomination, of what our belief is about the Holy Scriptures.

“We believe in the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, by which we understand the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration, inerrantly revealing the will of God concerning us in all things necessary to our salvation, so that whatever is not contained therein is not to be enjoined as an article of faith.” Now, We hear some big theological words in this article of faith..

The first one we believe as Nazarene is in the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Spirit put a burden upon someone’s heart to write about a particular topic or event and guided them with thoughts or memories in order to bring about God’s message. Which simply means God intentionally gave to us his word. That’s what theopneustis means. It’s, Divinely Inspired, meaning that it was delivered to us intentionally from God.

Think of it like this, salvation is a gift, mercy is a gift, grace is a gift, but did you know, the Bible, the words of God, in its entirety, is a gift, to us from God. No one can say, “God does not speak to me.” That’s untrue. God throughout every life on earth, in eternity past and eternity forward is always trying to reach the heart of man to bring mankind, or humanity back into the story of peace through the salvation of God’s son, Jesus Christ.

We learn from this gift, the word of God, is that It teaches us everything we need to know about how to be saved, reconciled to God. Martin Luther said,“The Bible is the manger in which Christ is laid.” We derive no doctrine that is not verified within the word of God. With that being said, now don’t just hear what the Nazarene church believes, but what the Word of God says about itself, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed (Theo-pnuestus) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So the Bible is important for you to grow in your faith, life and your purpose. But it’s also a call to submit your life to God’s word for teaching and correcting. Let me ask, who’s correcting you and redirecting you? Who in your life has the ability, right now, to say, hey, you’re walk is not lining up with what you’re saying it is? Is there someone, perhaps not including our solitude that you have given the right to speak life and truth into your heart?

One danger I have seen with online church is that you can learn a whole lot about faith, you can learn a lot about Jesus, but it still never provides anyone with accountability. And without accountability, our faith will always drive in the direction of our own understanding. Psalm 119:130 says, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” When we unfold the word, it shines light in the dark places.

Light not only gives illumination, but it also gives one understanding. It enlightens what was dark. It brings to light what lies in secrete. But what lies in secrete needs to be dealt with… it needs to be extinguished. Think of Hebrews 4:12 “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” It’s not passive, the HS makes it active in you, It cuts through the confusion and rebellion in thoughts and attitudes.

So what we learn is that the scriptures become our standard, it’s the standard to the story that we live out in our walk of faith. The scriptures must be this overarching theme of our own story. So, why do we need to read the Scripture? Well, its how we answer the big questions in life. We find the Nature of God The nature of humanity. Why are we here How to have a relationship with God How to have a relationship with each other How to live life as our creator intended it to be lived.

How to find real Joy, peace and purpose, We learn about life after death. And so, how we read the scriptures is that we read it as one grand story from beginning to end. I’ve always loved this phrase. The Bible is a love letter from God to you. It’s an amazing grand story of what God is up to in his world. One of the main problems is that many people read a few words or one act and try to make a determination of who God is by one part: It can’t work like that.

You have to understand the big story. God created humanity for fellowship, relationship and love. Humanity broke that relationship That breaking has caused imperfections, flaws, rebellion, and brought pain into this world And so, what we read is that God has been acting on behalf of humanity. He’s teaching humanity who he is He guides our lives in how the should live Then ultimately bringing Jesus to show and pay the price for humanity’s wrongdoing All of the individual stories, actions, commands, history are a piece of the journey to the grand ending of reconciliation with God.

It’s a story. It’s a A journey of restoration……. And peace. I think NT wright gives an amazing illustration on how to read God’s word. “Suppose a never before seen Shakespearean play is uncovered. It is a seven act play, but only six of the acts are found. The sixth act is missing. Several options are discussed, including having someone write the missing sixth act. Finally, it is decided to enlist several Shakespearean actors who would study and rehearse the first five acts and the final seventh act.

Then, on the night of the performance, the actors would improvise the sixth act while on stage, knowing they must be faithful to the first five acts and be ready for the final culminating act.” So what are the acts of the Bible? Act I - Creation God created all things and placed humans in the garden of Eden. Things are perfect. Perfect peace, perfect relationship, everything in creation is working as it should.

Act II - The Fall Adam and Eve sinned against God and were cast out of the garden. Sin now caused man and woman to be separated from God. Act III - Israel God chose to bring salvation to the world through his unique relationship and revelation to the descendants of Abraham. How did Abraham walk? By faith. Let’s visit what I said earlier.. Faith is more than just a thought.

It’s more than just having good intentions. Faith at it’s very core is to be lived out through our lives, in the over all story of life. Act IV - The Messiah Jesus came as the fulfillment of the promises of Israel, he came to save and redeem people through his life, death and resurrection. Act V - The Early Church After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to the believers, who formed the church, the body of Christ.

Act VI - (Blank) Act VII - The New Creation At the end of the age, Jesus returns to earth bringing heaven with him. The new age begins with Christ as Lord of all and his people called to rule creation. Here in a few weeks, we celebrate this reality and truth with anticipation of Jesus’s return as Christ the King Sunday. This is what that day and that feast represents.

Jesus is King, we are at the banquet supper with the Lamb. Singing and praising. But did you notice something….. Every act we find in scriptures had a story, and those story were being lived out by people use like you and me. People who struggle with financials. People who struggle with prayer and Scripture reading People who struggle with their faith and trust. People who have failed, and failed and failed, only to find mercy and grace.

We have the first five acts of human history where all of these people have struggled with faith just like we do. and then we have the final act. Our call, is to study and understand those who have gone before and to prepare ourselves for the final act. We are not called to repeat a specific act, but rather be faithful in the act that God has called us to live out our own story of faith.

There’s a song sung by Steven Green. We're pilgrims on the journey Of the narrow road, And those who've gone before us Line the way. Cheering on the faithful, Encouraging the weary, Their lives a stirring testament To God's sustaining grace. O may all who come behind us Find us faithful, May the fire of our devotion Light their way. May the footprints that we leave, Lead them to believe, And the lives we live Inspire them to obey.

O may all who come behind us Find us faithful. Church… I do not know what lies ahead…. For me, our family. For you and your family, and for us as a church. But faith isn’t in what we know… Faith is to be lived out with what we’ve learned from God’s word and then made active by His Spirit in and through us as Jesus manifests himself through us and into the world, making us all a part of a grander story as his redeemed people.

The Lord laid a very intimate Scripture on my heart this week….It comes for Joshua. 21:45 and Joshua 23:14. Joshua reminds us twice that: “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” If you want to know what feeds our faith on this faith journey… it’s trust. Trust feeds your faith. God’ s word and his promises has always been a guide and a light to those on this faithful journey.

David reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet, and a light for my path.” Your word.,…. Your holy Scripture. It guides us and lights the way for us… why? So that Jesus can be shared with those we say we love. Romans 10:15 says: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" My prayers for this church is this.. what ever happens from here on out…I pray: Lord, may thier story be…

that we are earthly vessel that bring heavenly good news so that Your story, Oh Lord, is lived out through the Story I live and leave behind for those to come. May we be found faithful. *